Summary

and
Responses

Submitted by:

CARMELLE Y. BAHADE
BSBA 1 Student

Submitted to:

MS. MARIVIC HAN-AWON

People can even become so obsessively attached to their devices that they are
imagining receiving alerts. Indeed technology has enabled us to connect with friends and
family across the globe; however, is it simultaneously destroying the importance of
meaningful face to face interactions? In her essay, “The Flight From Conversation”,
published in The New York Times, author Sherry Turkle argues that “the little devices
most of us carry around are so powerful that they change not only what we do, but also
who we are.” She effectively uses numerous rhetorical strategies to reveal the damaging
effects technology is having on human relationships and conversations.
        Turkle chose to begin her essay with a paradox, which was an extremely effective
technique. Opening with this paradox, Turkle sets the tone for the rest of her essay; “We
live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have
sacrificed conversation for mere connection.” From the very beginning, we can assume
that Turkle is disappointed in the method of communicating that society has chosen.
Through her diction, using “sacrificed” when describing conversation, and “mere” when
describing connection, it is evident that she favors conversation, weighing it to be more
complex than connection.      
        Turkle then goes on to appeal to logos by sharing a handful of upsetting examples
in which people confide in their devices rather than seeking console in human beings.
She states, “As we get used to being shortchanged on conversation and to getting by
with less, we seem almost willing to dispense with people all together.” It's almost
sickening that people are confiding so much into a machine that they feel as though they
could do without human relationships. People are hoping that “as Siri, the digital
assistant on Apple's iPhone becomes more advanced, “she” will be more and more like a
best friend-one who will listen when others won't.” Cell phones were originally
introduced as a method of communicating outside the home, incase of emergencies.
They were bulky and few and far between. Decades later, after the cellphone has
immensely grown technologically and shrunk in size; we face the problem that people
are confiding more in machines and less in actual living, breathing, emotional human
beings.
Turkle’s argues that technology today has engulfed every part of people’s lives and
face-to-face relations are already forgotten. It is clear that at home, at work, among
friends, and anywhere people are the habit of “alone together” is more appreciated. This
means that people do not meet with each other but connect through mobile phones and
other digital devices only a scenario where people are with each other and elsewhere at
the same time connected through technology. Turkle asserts that young people are
especially engulfed with technology without taking time to relate through oral
conversations. Nevertheless, they are not the only ones, as Turkle claims that even
business people, mothers at home, and even children we are all consumed with
technology “each of us is in our own bubble”. Turkle believes that this behavior is
rampant because people like to be in control, just pay attention to only what they want,
and manage the communication. She argues that face to face communication develops
slowly, requires patient, and one is not in control, even in instances when it becomes
boring therefore, many try to avoid it. People assume that in the real world nobody
listens, while technology like social media connects a person to many others. In this
way, people feel they will be heard, focus on what they want, and do have to be lonely.
She posits that this technology separates people instead of uniting them and therefore, it
is important to start listening to one another.
 My Responses to Flight from conversations

The main message the article that Sherry Turkle wants to deliver is that she
wanted us to realize how powerful a face-to-face conversations rather than technology.
She believes that there’s plenty of time to develop and practice this ability instead of
focusing all our attention with that different kinds of habits that we get from that
technology. I agree of what’s Turkle's said that people nowadays cannot imagine and
picture out how life without cellphones, computers or any other digital devices. Because
of these we forgot the essence of having oral conversation , how it bolds peoples capacity
of showing the feelings and emotions they have.
Basically, we are being less social with others and we are not communicating as
person anymore because everything is different now. We cant sit at a table with family or
friends without texting or being on the phone, sometimes we don’t even pay attention to
what the other person is saying. I would define it as we are becoming rude without
noticing it. I don’t think I would disagree on that because its proven and we can’t deny
the fact that it is really happening even with ourselves. We ignore others because we are
always doing something with technology, we constantly look at our phones and there is
no way someone can be able to deny that.
Personally, being one of the users of technology in aspects in life, I always carry
my cellphone everywhere I go to ensure that I do not miss a call or text from my family,
friends or incase of emergency. I would say texting is a form of conversation but I would
call it a quick conversation. Texting does not make you see how the other person is
really feeling, his/her face expressions sometimes you don’t even understand what they
try to say. It just isn’t the same as when you talk to someone in person. I have
conversations all the time; in person with phone calls, texts and social media but
nothing compares on having a conversations person with person. Texts and social media
are just not good enough for me to have a serious conversation. When it comes to
something serious I rather personally see that person or give them a call. Meeting people
in person and meeting people by social media are two different ways of being social.
That’s why I believe more of us are lonely, hiding their deep emotions and are faithful to
only our devise. Turkle believes that connecting via text or social media, is just that-
connecting, not conversing. She acknowledges the latter is a form of communication, but
in no way should replace a conversation. But, instead of keeping my eyes on that
device, I should be having social interactions with my loved ones sitting right in front of
them. Being on my device isn’t wrong, but ignoring those around me is. As they say
everything in moderation. All we need is a little balance.
 THE SUMMARY OF CONNECTED BUT ALONE
BY SHERRY TURKLE

In the Connected, but Alone Ted talk, Sherry Turkle talks about how technology
has a big influence on our social interaction at this day in age. The technological world
brings us together but also brings us apart from the real world. Sherry explains that
many people who look for acceptance, companionship, and interaction mostly go to their
phone in order to seek that interaction with others. This is becoming a big problem with
our society because instead of relying on others people are relying on their phones.
In her talk, Turkle insists that individuals now are way too invested in their
devices, reminding us that people are often on their cellular devices during board
meetings, classes, presentations, and even funerals. She also emphasizes that a
common trend in today’s day and age is that people want to be with each other but in
other places at the same time, as well as the fact that we are so used to having limited
face to face conversations that we wouldn’t mind getting rid of them all together if given
the option. Turkle expresses the idea of what is called the “Goldilocks Effect,” meaning
that people want to remain not too close but not too far away from other people either.
They like having a lot of someone as long as it is at a distance and they can control it. As
the talk moves along, Turkle again makes a strong point. She argues that the reason
behind why we expect more from technology and less from one another is because
technology is always there when we are at our most vulnerable stages. It gives us three
things to look forward to: attention when we want it, gives us a sense that we are always
heard, lets us know we are never alone. All in all, she believes that one of the most
import things that we need to do is to learn how to be alone. This is because, if we don’t
know how to be alone, we are just going to make ourselves more lonely by diving deeper
into technology and moving away from reality.
Turkle strongly encourages that we develop more self-aware relationships with
others, with ourselves, and with technology, if we want to really love the life we live in.
Sherry quoted what someone has said to her and it was "I'd rather text than talk." This
is proof of our real world disconnection to an extent. With the loss of physical contact
and up front conversations, we created the illusion of companionship. Sherry stated that
someone told her “no one is listening” while discussing this topic. We are so afraid
others that we rely on our technology and social media to empathize, sympathize, and
comfort us. We, as humans, are supposed to love and comfort each other. We should be
upset when someone is away or hurt, yet the peak of our emotional struggle is
misplacing your phone or having it die while you are away from home. Aside from work
or school related notifications, what are we truly missing when we disconnect? Her idea
is that, no we shouldn't get rid of technology but instead we should influence more
people to take a look around them and acknowledge their surroundings.
 Responses to Connected but alone by Sherry Turkle

In TED talk ,Connected but alone by Sherry Turkle, she focused on what she
calls "goldilocks effect" which she explained how advanced our technology is and how
easy it is to engage in conversation and start relationships because of it.
We become more dependable of what technology is . We let technology to control
our way of living and even our relationship to others. It drives us away from real-time
conversations to virtual with the use of social media. Even when we are with our families
and friends, we are ‘being together, while not being together’ as what Sherry turkle said.
We think and say that we enjoy other people’s company, but most of the time we are on
our smartphones and devices surfing the internet and using social media. I also agree
with how she says that people think ‘no one is listening’. It’s funny how there’s billions
of people out there in the world but we say that no one is listening when in actual fact
we are ignoring them out by sticking to our devices. This and the fact that we can
change what we want to say over text before sending a message would also result in us
choosing to socialize over the text rather than face-to-face. I think we should socialize in
real-time more as no matter how awkward the situation or if we ‘stumble, hesitate or
lose our words’, we reveal ourselves to each other. We define who we really are, and not
behind our devices. In this hard life it’s easier to turn towards technology than human
relation because it’s simple and optimistic.