Chupa chups
1NUR-7
Sherry Turkle had once again set foot on the TedTalk stage in 2012 with her eye-opening
piece entitled, Connected but alone. In her speech, she discussed how the rapid advancement of
technology has significantly affected the true essence of communication. From real-time and
candid conversations to impassive chats, people, especially the latter generation, have restrained
themselves from developing a genuine connection. She also elucidated 3 gratifying fantasies
these devices have to offer: that we can put our attention wherever we want it to be, that we will
always be heard, and that we will never have to be alone. Indeed, technology has taken a toll not
only on ourselves but also to our relationships since we’re letting it take us places we don’t
necessarily want to go.
Honestly speaking, I couldn’t help but agree with the speaker. I grew up in the age of
modernization wherein everyone and everything is made available within my reach which is why
it may be considered as a blessing, and likewise, a curse. For example, there was this social
experiment on YouTube where 5 people were locked in solitary confinement without their
mobile phones for 5 days. The 3 managed to get through the whole process successfully, while
the other 2 failed who both asserted that their overall sense of powerlessness and unbearable
anxiety were killing them alive. This only proved the fact that we’re becoming so dependent on
these worldly materials that we can’t even stand ourselves because we’re too afraid of being left
alone. We often need constant reassurance that perhaps, someone or something will be there for
us. However, the problem is we tend to take their presence for granted.
In the middle of her speech, Mrs. Turkle said, “technology appeals to us most where we
are most vulnerable. We're lonely, but we're afraid of intimacy.” I also can relate to this
quotation on a quite deeper level. I’ve had a best friend who eventually turned into merely a
Facebook friend because I thought these social media platforms were enough to keep our
companionship steady. There were countless times where she invited me to hang out but I
continuously declined her offer which could have been our saving grace. I think that it is safe to
say that in my case, I short-changed myself. I was leaning towards what’s more convenient
rather than what’s more effective. Hearing from my own words that we grew apart, really made
me realize that I must disconnect virtually in order to reconnect emotionally.
Thus, to say that the short video was okay is truly an understatement. It was well-written
and carefully thought of. The brilliant speaker was able to present her masterpiece in a way that
is engaging, yet enlightening. She explained how technology is undeniably powerful that can
affect our ways of communication, either positively or negatively. It depends on us how we’re
going to utilize it. Let me end with a quote from Ms. Sherry Turkle, “Solitude is where you find
yourself so that you can reach out to other people and form real attachments.”
Reference: Mind Warehouse. (2019). They Were Locked in a Solitary Cell Without Internet for 5
Days, but No One Expected This [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/L9LdtDupp_o
