Blog Post - Week 3

Notes from "The Flight From Conversation" by Sherry Turkle Article could be found by clicking here

After reading and listening to some of Sherry Turkle’s articles and videos, I realized this was not the first time I have heard many of her points being made. Social media and the development of technology has caused a debatable shift in our society. Sherry discusses her concerns, like many others, with technology taking over the way we communicate with each other. It is something we are all aware of and have acknowledged and strive to fix.

Sherry argues that technology has placed us into bubbles that disconnect us from the real world, potentially having the power to change traditional ways of communication. I find her most interesting discussion about conversation becoming extinct most interesting. I agree with Sherry when she says that online connection does not substitute for conversation. The internet is a platform people can use to feel like they are being listened to or heard. It can feel like a good companion and makes us feel like we are not alone. However, there is also the argument that this can be greatly positive for society. Those who are not able to find comfort or someone to speak to in social settings can use the internet as a way to meet people and find a balance.

I liked Sherry’s phrase “Alone together” - it is an interesting concept that explains how humans are always connected to one another no matter where we are. She also uses “silence of connection” to demonstrate that technology allows us to connect without even having to speak. This is an important factor to the way we traditionally communicate- by speaking. Texts allow us to think about what we want to say, go back, edit or delete our messages. This is obviously not natural to do when having a conversation or speaking to someone. Because we are so used to carefully composing our next sentence through texts or emails, it makes real life conversation less appealing and potentially more difficult.