Technology matters, but how real are our virtual lives at work and play?

Social media is great, but the ability to conduct telephonic and face-to-face conversations intelligently and personably remains an essential asset. — 123rf.com

NEW YORK: As our lives become more virtual with technology, how do gadgets define our identity at work, home and social circles at this unique moment in history?

Mary L. Gray, an anthropologist and recent recipient of a 2020 MacArthur “genius grant”, looks at the way technology affects labour, identity and human rights. Gray, 51, who is based in Somerville, Massachusetts, discusses how digital culture can improve our professional as well as personal lives.