“… a social interface may be a truly universal interface” 

-Cynthia Breazeal

 The reason we care about social robots is because they are becoming a part of
our lives.  Robots are entering social environments every day, and they are
increasingly called upon to interact with people with no knowledge of computer
science or robotics. Some applications of robotics require such interactions
(robot caregivers, entertainers, companions, etc.), while for others it would be
nice to have.

In order for robots to effectively interact with non-expert users, they must
adopt communication and interaction techniques that normal people (not that
roboticists are abnormal!) easily understand. Social rules provide a good
foundation for these types of interactions, as they are what humans use in real
life.