Recently in class we watched a TED talk by psychologist and sociologist Sherry Turkle, who is a professor at MIT. She studies the interaction of human beings with technology, and uses hundreds of interviews to gather data for analysis and interpretation. Her most recent book is Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other (2011). Her TED Talk reviews some of the findings of this recent book, raises some interesting questions, and makes some challenges.
Please write a reflection on the talk below. Some questions for consideration (you need not answer any of them, these are just to stimulate thought!):
- Do you agree with what she says? If not, would you say that her sampling of people was too limited (how does it break down, for example, by age group? Should she have interviewed more teenagers?)? Did she fail to take into account alternative points of view?
- When did you get your first cell phone? Do you think that it has generally enriched or impoverished your daily life? Does it distract you from your life or connect you to it?
- What challenges does she make at the end of the talk?
- In relating her research, Dr. Turkle is very emotional. Clearly this work means a great deal to her. How do you think empathy is present in her research and interpretation of her findings?
- Does her "pre-technological" value system (her values having been formed before the advent of personal computing and mobile devices) precondition her to view the more intense use of technology in a negative manner? How have values guided her interpretation of the data?
- Do the human sciences put more emphasis on emotion, empathy, and values?
Sherry Turkle raised a very important and undervalued question in the Ted talk. Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Technology has changed our lives, and had taken over some parts of it. It had changed the way we act and the way we are, from the inappropriate times we use technology especially cell phones like in meetings, in school, at dinner and I’m moments we are supposed to interact with other face to face not screen to screen. Some use it as a replacement of relationships or for solitude. I agree with what Sherry Turkle says, because having grown up in the ear most of these things were invented in, we have had complete exposure to it all. Generations to come will be even worse, because with the invention of social networking and text messaging everyone is always connected and not concentrated or conscious of where they are and who they are with. People are loosing the capabilities to have a face to face discussion or conversation because they are all so used to texting, where they only have to pay attention to what interests them and what the want to know that it would be hard to have a face to face conversation. One is always in contact with someone somewhere else doing something else, so they don’t pay attention to where they are and what they are doing. I can definitely relate because I realize how dependent I am with my cell phone, I feel it has a great importance and I cant live without it. Already now I see how kids younger them me all get the new Iphone or new smartphone at a very young age. I got my fist cell phone, an old Nokia which doesn’t even have half of the functions some of these new phones have, when I was about 10 or 11 but it way only for emergency’s only and mostly to call my parents. The way Sherry Turkle uses her daughter as an example is very affected I think because the daughter must have grown up with technology while sherry didn’t but still they are both dependent on their Mobile phones and other electronic devices. So we can see it doesn’t really matter what age you are, we have to admit to technology being one of the most important discoveries of out time and it has changed everybody’s lives. We don’t want to eliminate them from out lives but we have to know ho to cope with them and find the right time and place to use them.
ReplyDeleteElla
part 1:
ReplyDeleteSherry Turkle conducted her research using both methods: at the beginning of the video, at about 02:30 minutes, she says that she interviewed hundreds and hundreds of people, young and old, about their lives. This can be considered quantitative since she made surveys using those interviews, and qualitative because each person had a different and personal opinion or story to tell. Her research can be considered qualitative because of the study she made in special centers, or because of the conclusion gathered by talking to her patients.
She found out that those little devices are psychologically powerful, they can change not only what we do, but also who we are. People always state that they prefer to text someone rather than have a conversation because while you are texting you can control the situation, you can behave the way you want people to see you, and you can kind of hide your true self behind a controlled and manipulated message. The mere connection is not a conversation, you cannot feel the emotions the other is trying to send you.
She also pointed out that we are alone together, meaning that people spend time with each other but instead of talking, or interacting, are constantly looking at their phones, and sharing their thoughts, thinking that in that way they won’t be alone anymore. She studied people who arrived at the extent of using their phones during funerals, work meetings, or dinners, texting rather than talking.
Our vulnerability is that we feel like if nobody is listening to us. People have to listen to each other, not only to the interesting bits they are willing to hear, but they shoul pay attention also to the boring and unnecessary parts of a conversation. This feeling of loneliness brings people to connect and develop a relationship with machines and technological devices, which are always “there” for us, listening to what we’ve got to say.
Part 2:
ReplyDelete“We expect more from technology and less from each other”.
“We complain we are lonely, but still we are afraid of intimacy”.
One thing that people should be aware about is that loneliness is not a bad thing, solitude is a useful tool to get to know yourself, and to help you relate to each other. Isolation brings self-comprehension and self-reflection, without those two main basis we cannot try to understand the others.
Sherry Turkle suggests to find some spare room for isolation, and even more time to talk, and listen to each other; we should reclaim spaces for conversation, and teach children the importance of the value carried by solitude.
I totally agree with the conclusions brought by Sherry Turkle, because I can see around me how social networks changed the way people behave and relate to each other, which is becoming creepier every day. It’s worrying how people don’t know anymore how to be engaged in a conversation, face to face, or how express their feelings using their words.
Everyone is hiding his or her true self behind a cold and emotionless laptop, or behind a cellular keyboard. People hide their feelings. To make a quick example, a decade ago people were sharing emotions through letters, and they were covering distances with pages of written words full of love, friendship, care and tenderness. Nowadays people communicate instantly thanks to internet or text messages and all the romance faded away.
People don’t know how to put their feelings into words, and they don’t have the bravery to face a conversation during which your emotions can deceive you, during which you could eventually burst into tears.
We don’t know anymore how to make a strong relationship grow, how to show people how much we love them or how to communicate our anger or revelry or any other kind of emotion that we try to suppress. We are connecting, rather than communicating.
I can take myself as an example. I’m a paradox, in the sense that I believe we should use less social networks and work more on conversations, and I’m still connected on facebook all the afternoon.
Social life turned out to be a drug, and easiest way of communication, but we must stop and realize that is mere connection. True relationships and human warmth could never be replaced by robots, electronic devices or machines, this is why even if technology is developing always more, we should care more about our human side.
Sherry Turkle analyzed a topic that has been discussed by many psychiatrist and scientists, the effect of technologies on the interactions between human beings. Under some poit of views I agree with what Sherry Turkle said, but at the same I find myself in conflict with some of her statements. She examines the effect of technologies, such as cellphones, computers, and social networks on humans, and the effect it gives to the creating of relationships and communication between people. She makes example on how people express emotions through technological machines; technology is replacing the verbal communication between humans. Its true that humans, and in particualr teenagers like me, instead of verbally talking to a person they prefer to type a text message or send an imbox thwough social networks. Even though technologies, do not only have a negative impact of humans. Tehcnology has helped the entire world develop and enlarge our ways of knowledge, and as all things its has his negative and positive effects.
ReplyDeleteF.V.
Final comment:
DeleteSherry Turkle analyzed a topic that has been discussed by many psychiatrist and scientists, the effect of technologies on the interactions between human beings. Under some point of views I agree with what Sherry Turkle said, but at the same I find myself in conflict with some of her statements. She examines the effect of technologies, such as cell phones, computers, and social networks on humans, and the effect it gives to the creating of relationships and communication between people. She makes example on how people express emotions through technological machines; technology is replacing the verbal communication between humans. It’s true that humans, and in particular teenagers like me, instead of verbally talking to a person they prefer to type a text message or send an inbox though social networks. Even though technologies do not only have a negative impact of humans. One of the most important technological machines that affect humans every single day is the cell phone. I received my first cell phone when I had 13 years, and it seemed that my life changed that day, I felt more responsible and more secure. The cell phone gives a feeling of security to people, when you find yourself in diffult situations or you need to contact someone it is automatic to use your cell phone. I can’t imagine how it was many years ago, living without something that is able to connect you to the rest of the world in a couple of seconds. People believe that cell phones are the cause of discretions to humans, in particular to students when they are in school. It’s true that many times it happens that instead of being concentrated on a particular subject, you distract because of “what sapping” with friends or being connected to social networks constantly. But overall, cell phones are necessary for the connection to people, regarding job connections around the world or keeping in contact with people distant to you. Dr. Sherry Turkle is very emotional when describing the effect technologies on humans, in particular because she uses real personal example s of her life. For example when explaining her relationship with her daughter; a simple text message from her teenage daughter can cause her emotions and strong feelings. In conclusion I believe she centered the topic, of the interactions between humans with the help of technologies. She had arguments that confirm her ideas, and counterarguments that at the same time are valuable. I believe there is no right or wrong answer when defining the positive or negative effect of technology. Technology has helped the entire world develop and enlarge our ways of knowledge, and as all things it has his negative and positive effects.
F.V>
I believe she is absolutely right about mostly everything she said. Her speech was very convincing and supported by very valid arguments. I agree with the fact that technology is replacing too many things in our lives and that it could lead to unreversable consequences, but for many aspects it is also improving our lives immensely. It is wrong to give too much importance to technology and to give it a fundamental role in our life, but it is also true that technology is now radicated in our daily lives and will never be completely out of them.
ReplyDeleteErica Giuliano
Sherry Turckle’s “TED” talk was very interesting. She used some stories and reral life examples to fill her lecture with some good comments and to keep the audience constantly on topic.
ReplyDeleteI thunk that today phones are regularly one of the 3 objects that we use more frequently during the day, each day. A phione is a very useful instrument, it helps me a lot during study and even more during free time. I that without the phone’s inventio9n our world would be much more slower in communications and in news receiving to.
The phones are always used more and because they are always stuffed with new “aps” and new functions.
I agree with the idea that the Phones are normally the most used, and are also the greater necessity a human has in today’s world. Altough I have to say that she chose her examples from a studied age group. She used examples of her daughter and of mostly people between the age of 18 to 30 were we are alla still very in contact with friends and completely into our work. During work we are helped very much today by phones, the famous “Smartphones”, they have the functions of computers and the size of a phone. Today we can receive emails everywhere, and communicate easily with everybody.
My first cellphone unfortunately didn’t last very much. I still remember it was a Nokia, the 2nd most sold phones come from their creations. Somebody stole it from me. I bought it after a VG(Very good) grade in a math test when I was in 4th Grade. I began using regularly my phone when I was 15 years old, I began playing games, texting my friends…. Today I use the phone to study and to simplify my life when needed..
Empathy boasted her spirit invigoring her in researching more deeply and with more enthusiasm. During her lecture she wass excited, even if it was the 2nd time she came and spoke during that program. I could see her expressions and the way she conduced the talk, she wanted to teach and tell what she conclueded to the people she had in front.
Sherry Turckle’s name is not very known, but I am sure that her conclusions will be proven correct in a few years, and when we will have to take a decision and need someone to guide us away from this addiction she will be remembered by everyone.
FRANCESCO
After watching Sherry Turkle’s TED talk, I agree with her points because in my opinion technology not only changes what we do, but mostly changes the way we are and how we act. We have to admit that technology helped our world develop greatly, but it has both negative and positve aspects. In her speech, Turkle argues the negative effects that technology has upon us. She underlines how people hide from each other, but still want to be “alone together”. In my opinion Turkle is correct because our society is basically depending on technology, she also predicted that in the future people will have personal “robot” friends to whom they can reveal their secrets. Her point is that without technology we could not survive. Once again I agree with what she says because technology has became a part of us and without it we could not live. People are addicted to it, and as she has shown through images they cannot stay without them. In conclusion I strongly agree when she said that young teenagers have difficulties in gathering conversations with other people because they are used to texting where you can edit what you want to say and you present yourself as how you want to be.
ReplyDeletePart 2
ReplyDeleteWhat I really liked in her speech, a part from the engagement she was able to create, is that she included many personal examples from her life, giving the audience real experience and proof of the points she was discussing. I think that possessing a technological machine can give you a lot in terms of contact with others, information, news, organization and time saving: however, it can also impoverish your daily life by replacing your face to face conversations with others, your curiosity of researching things in books, by making you think in a more superficial way since you know that whenever you need an important information you'll just have to grab google form your pocket to have it. This "simplified life" might have positive and negative effects on everyone, it depends whether there is an excess of it or a moderation of it. What I found very interesting in what she said is the psychological impact of mobile phones on us. The need to constantly check your phone at every time of the day, in every situation. As she was saying it I saw my generation as the example of this bad habit. It is something that gradually becomes natural to do, that makes you feel secure and in contact with everyone. You really have the feeling of never being alone, but especially after her speech I understood that actually you isolat yourself from others and if exceeding with the use of technology you might as well end up alone.
Erica Giuliano
In this speech Sherry Turkle,a psychologyst, explained the problems in which technology has led our society. Ms.Turkle describes this as "technology is taking us in a place we don't want to go", by this we understand that Ms.Turkle wants the world to know that the too much frequent use of technology will lead us to destroy ourselves. The Goldilock effect is described by Ms.Turkle as if people have control on others only when they are far away and may use technology to have a conversation with someone, instead when they have a normal conversation they feel strange and insecure.
ReplyDeleteMs.Turkle also makes a connection with "Siri", explaining that in future it will become a friend that will listen to our problems and help us in our lives.
In her book "Alone Together", Sherry Turkle demonstrates how technology had changed people's way of thinking and acting. But morresimportant, how it has changed the way people interact with each other. As a result, she believes that technology increased our own personal feeling of loneless. In fact, she thinks we started hiding from each other even if we are related to each other. Furthermore, on her opinion, we lost confidence that we are there for each other and that our ability to communicate and listen have decreased drammastically after the introduction of technology. On my own personal knowledge, I saw many people who, during class time, were using their technological device instead of interacting with the class. Also, thorugh my experiencies, I can say that people can not stay far away from their phone for less than 24 hours. This has brought us to stay more close as possible to our mobile phone, and as a result, we are used to sleep with our telephone next to us. From my own personal experience and Turkle's examples, I must agree with what she stated. We lost the ability to interact with people. We expect more from technology than from each other, without even see how technology is drammastically growing during these last decades. Turkle, through interviews, demonstrated that conversations (so, the interaction with other people) can confort oor live. For instance, she met a woman who lost the child, and as a way to confort herself she is used to talk to a robot, which looks like a child (emphaphy). In conclusion, through my personal experience and Turkles book and interview I can state that technology is affecting our world in a negative way, and that we should do something to stop technology to interact to much with our own personal life.
ReplyDeleteValentina
Shery Turkle is a psychologist that has spent the last 15 to 20 years studying the influence of technology on human beings. She has come up with very important results, drawing significant conclusions. She sustains that machines will once replace human beings. I personally think that she is right because unfortunately technology is pushing us somewhere we don’t want to go, somewhere where traditions, beliefs and thoughts will be whipped out.
ReplyDeleteTurkle says that machines have become companions, or more precisely illusions of companions. She says illusions because even though we may think to have company by chatting on a phone, surfing on the browser or entering a virtual world through videogames we will never be in true company. A human companion cannot, and will never, be replaced by a machine. This is why Turkle is trying to make us aware that the feeling of company we receive from a machine will never be even near to the one given by a human being.
I personally think that Shery Turkle’s statements are unfortunately true! I experience it every day of my life; the desperate need of taking a look on my I-phone or my PC constantly throughout the day. I think that we have become machine addicts and we will pay this vice at a high price one day. Technology, to my opinion is useful and fundamental for the development of our society but it is a very dangerous phenomenon. I am afraid that one day technology will be able to replace almost every aspect and value of human beings obscuring all the things that make our species unique. Do not forget that Human characteristics are a blessing of God and cannot be replaced by a sophisticated machine.
Ugo
In her TED Talk speech, Dr. Sherry Turkle closely examines the impacts of modern technologies on our lives: how technologies not only change what we do but also who we are. She states that people nowadays have become overly dependent on technology. We have put too much emphasis on connection rather than conversation, and this connection, if not controlled, will ultimately change to isolation.
ReplyDeleteThis phenomenon is fascinating and true. However, I feel that her findings about modern communication devices, such as phones and social platforms, cannot apply to everyone. Even if we exclude the people who do not have access to these technologies, still not everyone who owns a phone is addicted to it. I believe that her selection of people is limited, in a way that she should not only distinguish them by age group, but also different education or financial background, or even cultural background. For example, when I grow up, I was told that we cannot start dinner unless every member of the family is present and when we are having dinner, there should not be any distraction by phones, computers, video games or even phone calls. Growing up in this environment, even though I got my first cellphone when I was 12, I am far not as dependent in mobile technologies as the people mentioned in Dr. Turkle’s talk.
Later on in her speech, she poses a prediction: if we do not learn how to be alone, then we will be more alone. I agree with her. I think that right now, people are more controlled by the machines, rather than machines controlled by people. I believe it is reasonable to give technology a great amount of importance, because People have become overly obsessed and dependent on technology, and once, if the technology someday fails us, we will become more alone, because we will able to have a proper conversation.
-Chianyu
I got my first cell phone when I was 13 years old and I barely ever used it (and still barely use it). However, I was used to introduced to the Internet and video games at a much earlier age and I can vouch for the points Dr. Turkle made in her TED speech.
ReplyDeleteOnline/technological interaction with other people gives us the same "fulfillment" as real-life social interaction but with none of the responsibilities that come with it. We can always distance ourselves from others virtually: we are not forced to communicate with them, unlike in real life where meetings might be unavoidable.
However, rather than see this as a cause of human use of technology, I see it as a side effect. The ability to focus our attention wherever and whenever we want is what makes technology so attractive. The isolation and lack of intimacy is, I think, something resulting from subconscious decisions and desires: people don't consciously decide to distance themselves from others.
While I do not think Dr. Turkle's finding apply to everyone, I do believe that they apply to an extremely large portion of the population in the Western world. I also believe that, as technology expands and is accessed by newer and ever younger generations, human dependency on it will increase. I believe that the current use of technology is comparable to an addiction: we do it to experience temporary satisfaction/pleasure and, since it is quick and involves nothing negative, we come back for more.
Because of this, I think that human dependency on technology should also be examined from a neurobiological perspective. MRI scans and other medical data of frequent cell phone users could be used in tandem with information gained from interviews to see exactly how technology is affecting our brains and to compare this effect to traditional addictions (alcoholism, drug use and smoking).
Furthermore, I believe Dr. Turdle is wrong in saying that the current generations of high school and college students(and adolescents in general) grew up with technology. We did not. We grew up alongside it. The current level of technology use (the constant texting and sharing described in Dr. Turkle's speech) only gained traction in the latter part of the last decade due to advancements in technology (wireless, faster internet) and greater accessibility.
The generation that is really growing up with the technology is generations that is currently growing up: the pre-school and elementary school children that are surrounded by technology in such a way that it is impossible to get away with not using it. I, for one, believe that the effects of technology on this generation will be markedly different from the way technology is affecting adults and adolescents today. Because their brains are still developing quickly, technology may have a more profound impact on them. Perhaps they will adapt to use it without remaining isolated from others. Perhaps they will adapt to being isolated from others and consider any form of intimacy an extremely special and profound experience. Perhaps they will simply get bored of technology, abandoning it by the end of adolescence.
While I do agree that technology is impacting us negatively by isolating us from each other, I believe that it is too early to tell how technology will affect those who truly grow up with it. Cyber technology has only recently arrived at a point where we are worrying about it and we cannot predict its effect on future generations.
Connected but alone
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video of Sherry Turkle's speech on "Connected,but alone?", I felt that her point of view on the current social issue, the broadly use of texting is causing the lack of communication among people, is very true.
The speech is attractive. She starts it by first saying that she has received a text from her daughter, and although she is appreciated to receive these kind of message;she feels that in fact the text distances people from each other.
Turkle gives a few real life examples, the first one is a photo in which her daughter is with her friends in the house, but instead of chatting with each others, each of them are "busy" with their phone. Then, the second example is that two parents at the breakfast table texting their friend, and their child is arguing that why no one cares about him.
Furthermore, She states that through the "edict" and "delete" processes, people are losing their real identity and forgetting whom they truly are.
I agree Turkle's point to a certain level, because I'm part of the generation that obtains the great benefit from using smartphone. The diverse applications in smartphones make so many things easier, for example checking emails, search for information and even GPS in smartphone. However, I also feel that nowadays people tends to talk less with each other and even among the family members. For example, my parents now are becoming familiar with more and more applications in the smartphones, while using smartphones save a lot of their time, they tend focus on their phones more than the children.
Nevertheless, one thing that I really has to mention is that thanks for the smart and easy use of phones, my grandmother now is able to go online and chat face to face with us overseas easily. In term of communication abroad, I personally reckon that people should acknowledge the easy access of smartphones.
In conclusion, every thing has both side.
Although the negative impact of overusing smartphone, texting distances people, is a serious issue that need to be solved, the advanced advantage has to be aknowledged.
Sherry Turkle interviews hundreds of different types of people, from all ages and areas of life, for her research. She gets opinions on technology across the generations and from different situations where it is used, even at funerals. For her research on robots, she witnessed situations in nursing homes. Therefore, her research is quantitative and in depth.
ReplyDeleteThrough her research, she has found that technology can be destructive to our lives, if we do not make our more aware of the psychological power of our devices and how they affect who we are, not only our day to day lives. Turkle believes that people are letting technology take them places they don't want to go, setting themselves up for problems relating to others and themselves. She claims that there is a “goldilocks effect” which keeps people not too close or too far from each other through technology. This means that there is no real conversation with one another and therefore no chance for reflection on themselves. She also claims that people expect a lot more from technology and less from each other, destroying the intimacy of personal relationships. Her fear is that if people do not teach their children to turn away from devices and technology and learn to be alone, they will only know how to be lonely in life.
Ethical values are the morals (good or bad) belonging to a person or a society. If a certain behavior is adapted or taken on by a mass group of people or society, and everyone is doing it, the moral value changes, because there is no one to challenge whether it is wrong or right. This can lead to people doing an action that is ultimately negative, such as using their phones when talking to people or using text messages instead of speaking to people, or even expecting empathy from robots.
Sherry Turckle’s “TED” talk was very interesting.The TED talks about the advantages and disadvantages of the virtual world, and how the manipulate and have a lot of influence in our life. She explains how our devices are psychologically powerful they change who we are. She explains how this will set our future generations into trouble with texting at every time, and we are getting used to being alone. She also talked about the Goldilocks Effects which is the development of face to face relationship and with these new technology we are not able improve. She also explained how people now are afraid of being alone and have the fear that no one is listening to them. Her idea is to use technology, but with the intention of retrieving only the positive outcomes out of it. We live in a world of developing technologies in order to create a better future we need to watch out , using are reasoning we must learn to not get influenced or manipulated by the social networks and media. Reasoning is the greatest weapon that we need to develop to become stronger and less addicted to our smart phones and other utilities. We should not text every time but go outside and actually meet our friends face to face and have real conversations.
ReplyDelete5 key concept of the ted talk
•We are letting technology take us places we don’t want to go
•Little devices in our pockets are so psychologically powerful they change what we do and who we are
•The “ The Goldilocks Effect: Can’t get enough of each other , only if we can have each other at distance & in amounts we can control
•We need to develop a self-aware relationship with technology and with ourselves
•Need to focus on how technology can help bring us back to our real life’s, our own bodies our own community
Alone Together is the result of MIT technology and society specialist Sherry Turkle’s nearly fifteen-year exploration of our lives on the digital terrain. Based on interviews with hundreds of children and adults, it describes new, unsettling relationships between friends, lovers, parents, and children, and new instabilities in how we understand privacy and community, intimacy and solitude. It is a story of emotional dislocation, of risks taken unknowingly. But it is also a story of hope, for even in the places where digital saturation is greatest,there are people especially the young who are asking the hard questions about costs, about checks and balances, about returning to what is most sustaining about direct human connection. At the threshold of what Turkle calls the robotic moment,our devices prompt us to recall that we have human purposes and,perhaps, to rediscover what they are.
By Marco Zlatan Ludovichetti , KPB
Dr. Turkle says some very profound statements that suddenly made me think about this new generation. This new generation is made up of 10 year olds who have cell phones and completely surround and enter themselves in technology! I received my first cell phone when i was 12 years old, and I never really used it because I never understood why I would need it. The first few years, I ignored it, but later on, most of my classmates started getting cellphones as well, and we could magically chat with each other via cell phone. It came to a certain point where we started expecting more from technology than from ourselves, as Dr. Turkle stated. In her TED speech, Dr. Turkle analyzes the effect that technology has on our lives and how it affects our relationships with the real world.
ReplyDeleteWe all hide behind technology, and when we enter the internet or texts we become different people. People that can edit what they say and can control their emotions via chat. We expect more from technology than from each other, and we think that's alright because we can just talk through text or social network chat or messaging. We have grown out of our relationships and into our virtual selves.
As we have seen in the video I do agree with Dr.Turkle but to a certain extent. Meaning that she is right in terms that new technology and texting affect our social lives. But it is not a really big problem because now a days everybody is also using the technology and so it is ok to use technology because we need it nowadays.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do not agree with her when she mentioned that wwe don't transfere emotions while texting because in fact we do tranfere emotionjs while texting. Meaning that when we text we use all of our emotional states as if talking it out, but it may not be understood or be felt by other people.
Additionally, i also do not agree with her that texting is not efficient way of communicating because as it is know in some countries the cost of voice calls are more than the cost of texting therefore many young and teenage people use texting as a way of communicating.
Overall, it is right that we should not abuse the power of technology and we should keep in our own social boundries and also carry our social life beside texting and spending most of our time on texting and tech.
The video, sponsored by ted talk was a presentation by Sherry Turkle on technology and its upcoming role in our lives, we viewed this video in the previous class, and I thought it was very interesting and enlightening. Technology taking over our lives is a constant topic of discussion in our society and is becoming more and more important. The difference this video has with all the other things I’ve seen and heard about this topic is the perspective of the woman speaking. Firstly she herself had promoted the virtual world and was a contributor to its spread on the internet, such as her work on blogs and virtual communities. Her previous experiences had given her a different view when it came to the topic of the spread of technology. She had many great points, but for me the biggest impact came from the quote she created “I share therefore I am” philosophy being one of my favorite subjects I found this quote contained a deeper meaning. It got me to critically analyze how different our world has become and how we now think has changed because of the role technology plays in our day to day lives. I believe this video was beneficial to the class during our topic of the human sciences because it allowed us to see how a human scientist works and the conclusions they can arrive to about our society. Turkle gave many examples from her book Alone Together, these examples and explanations that she gives are what really convince the reader/listener that what she’s saying is true and should be taken seriously. Turkle says “We shape our buildings, Winston Churchill argued, and then they shape us. The same is true of our digital technologies. Technology has become the architect of our intimacies. Online, we face a moment of temptation. Drawn by the illusion of companionship without the demands of intimacy, we conduct “risk free” affairs on Second Life and confuse the scattershot postings on a Face book wall with authentic communication. And now, we are promised “sociable robots” that will marry companionship with convenience.” Turkle recognizes that technology is facilitating us with all the things we cannot find with friends and family; it is taking relationships which are messy, and cleaning it up, making it easier, this is why technology is such a powerful aspect of our lives and why it is continuing to take over every aspect of our lives.
ReplyDeleteDr. Turkle raised a very interesting question in her Ted Talk. Even though it is a very interesting question, I do not agree with the conclusion she came up to. I think that most of the people that use social networks, are using it only to make communication easier when they are away from each other. Not everyone chat on social networks or send text messages when they want to communicate, almost everyone call each other when they have to say an important thing. I got my first phone when I was 11, it was too early, but now I can't imagine a world without ity. It is too important in today's life. I think that Dr. Turkle's quote "we expect more from twechnologies than from each other" is not true. I hear many people saying that today's teens prefer chatting on sociaql networks rather then meeting outside with their friends. This is completely false. Every teenager would like to get out with their friends, but when there is not the possibility there is the social networks option. In conclusion, I think that social networks are one of the most useful innovation in the past century.
ReplyDeleteThe effects of technology in our world has now become one of the major issues of daily debate. Iphones, iPads are becoming consistently part of humans' life. In her "Ted Talk" Sherry Turkle, analyzed the effect of technology on social relationships. In my opinion what she said is absolutely correct, even though in some parts of her discussion she exaggerated a bit. It is true that the new generation growing is addicted to at least some type of screen and this is a problem that needs to be solved. As she states, solitude is an important "emotion" and situatuion that needs to be present in our lives. Instead, with the new technology we are always connected to everybody, we never have a "mental break". Doctor Turkle argues that we expect more from technology than from each other, meaning that sometimes we expect technology to give us some anwers that we should instead ask to other people, who have souls! People have reached the limit, they also text at funerals, and this becomes disrespectful. The citation "i share therefore i am" is a citation that perfectly represents the personality of youg teenagers of today. Behind a screen everyone has another personality, they have time to think at what to state and this doesnt show their real identity, instead when you are iin presence of other people, reactions are more spontaneous. iPhones are also a tool to ignore others, in some situations, it may happen that teenagers text on their cellphones in order not to interact with others. In conclusion, i found Turkle's "Ted Talk" very interesting, analyzing in deepness everyday problems. In the end it is important to realize hoe twchnology also has an immense psychological impact on our life.
ReplyDeleteShelley Turkle is a psychologist who studies the effect that technology has on humans and how they treat each other. She claims that technology should have a positive outcome to society, bu that it is mistreated and transformed into something that becomes, not only negative, but almost parasitic and sinister. Even though, she believes that technology affects us badly, she also states that it has the potential to be something that can, not only help us as humans, but enhance our communication too.
ReplyDeleteShe begins the talk by telling a little story about her daughter, and how she received a text that brightened up her day, saying that it felt almost like a hug. Meaning that, not even her who understands the effect that technology has, is immune to the emotional swings and / or moods that it can create. “Mom, you will rock!, not only made her feel better about the presentation she was about to conduct, but also made her feel loved by her daughter, since she felt that her daughter loved her.
This is the new aspect that she has developed on technology. Actually, she used to have a different idea about it all, and in 1996, she was published on the cover page of the WIRED magazine, after she gave her very first TEDtalk, when her daughter was 5, sitting in the front row, watching her.
Her studies were meant to be about how life in the virtual world should help us better the life we live in the real world, i.e. making mistakes in a life that is not real, should teach us things, and ensure that we do not repeat these mistakes when the results are actually vital / life-changing, in the real world.
After this introduction, she starts talking about her daughter again. But this time, she focuses almost solely on texting. She claims that kids these days, are trying to learn how to keep eye-contact while texting. This research is qualitative and observational. There are no numbers involved in this kind of data collecting, and the observer’s effect is minimized because the daughter has already been conditioned to the sight and sounds of her mother, meaning she would be less likely to change her behavior, were her mother to intrude upon her texting and / or doing other activities.
‘We Are Alone Together’, is what Sherry Turkle claims. We try to be together with people, but apart from them, at the same time. ‘We seek companionship without the burdens of friendship’. ‘We are lonely, but afraid of intimacy.’
Her conclusion is that we, as humans, shouldn’t be afraid of isolation, rather we should embrace it. We should learn to balance the two, since being alone should not necessarily mean that we are lonely.
There are some complications though, when it comes to obtaining data pertaining to these events. Ethical values can arise because scientist should not be allowed to watch fellow humans without their knowledge or consent. Meaning, it can become very difficult and / or complicated to gain knowledge about human behavior in certain situations. One would have to tell them that they were being watched, and if that occurred, they would most likely alter their behavior, to fit what they believe the scientist wants them to do.
Jaycee Mba
First of all, I completely agree with the opinion Dr. Turkle expressed in her speech, which regarded technology as having a negative impact on our communication skills, and on our lives in general. I believe her talk was extremely effective since she approached the issue from a multitude of different points of view: her own, her daughters, etc.. Furthermore, I think that, although the professor belongs to a generation of people who are not accustomed to such technological developments, she places herself in the place of those who are, and is able to represent their voice, as well as hers.
ReplyDeleteI believe she raises points which are undervalued in our daily life. Children, teenagers and adults are now used to using their phones and computers, and do not think about the real reasons why they are doing such. Superficially, they think they are using them to “communicate with their friends”, but what Dr. Turkle wonders is: Do they really? She postulates that, in reality, they are choosing their “virtual life” (to which they access through technology) over their actual life and that such separation is occurring at an increasing earlier age.
A fact which is extremely sad, but unfortunately true, is that 9 and 10 year old boys and girls pass hours each day “talking” to each other on social networks and through phones. The sad aspect of this fact is that, often, when they see each other face to face they barely speak to each other, revealing the superficiality behind their “friendship”. Furthermore, by texting and chatting constantly, the person forgets how to maintain a conversation and further isolates him or herself. The problem which I believe has not been emphasized enough by Dr. Turkle, is the disastrous impact of technology at such early age, and the intensity of the damage it will cause to the same children in the future. Children who will not only lack the ability to speak in public or hold a speech, but children whose social relationships will risk inconsistency. This lack will damage the entire society of the future, since it will be composed of grown-ups who have been raised with such ideals.
ILARIA
Giorgio Musilli
ReplyDeleteDr Turkle's point of view does not hypothesize a bright future for technology. Her conception derives from the implication of her life experience, and she has not grown together with cyber technology, social networks and smart phones. Virtual commincation simplofies communication and it renders itmore available in terms of time, money, education, culture. Today's technology does hamper the responsibility of communicating, and it does seperate one from the other emotionally and in terms of values.Regardless these modern side effects, I beleieve that in the future the difference between virtual communication and face to face communication will be increasingly unobservable.
I recieved my first cell phone in my early years as an adolescent. My parents have always monitored my use of technology and have alsways emphasized the responsibility associated with it. Consequentially, I was never given phones whose applications are considered addictive and harmfull for my learning and social communication. In my case, i never owned a smart phone, also because I never forcefully asked for it. Some people intrinsically necessitiate and become dependent on a constant virtual communication and connection. Those people are usually considered extrovert. Being an introvert, I have never fully taken aadventage of cell phones and I have used strictly for the purposes of calling, messaging and sometimes taking pictures. I believe that the fact that I never got used to the wide range of possibilities that cell phones imply, did not teach me to apply such possibilities with the real world. These possibilities include using a social network or a messaging system. Certainely having an efficient and quick messaging system in your cell phone connects you to your life, as long as you do not expect virtual communication to satisfy the emotional intimacy and responsibility of a face to face communication.
The emotional value this experiment has for Dr Tukle can act as a experimental bias in her observational studies. An example is the formulation of interview questions, or the analyzation of the results of such interviews. It is possible that the relatively objective implacations can be disregarded to a certain extent by her emotional committment to her beleif.
I believe that people who are born and who live with virtual technology are more likely to learn the responsiblity of communication and are more inclined to using technology more efficiently, saving time, learning more.
In 1995, Sherry Turkle did a TED talk promoting the internet and the advancement of technology. But, her research has led her to believe that her previous notions had been misguided, and she did a new TED talk to share her new opinion and her research. She interviewed hundreds of people and used her qualitative data to come to the conclusion that technology is not only changing what we do, but who we are as people. She coined the term the “goldilocks” effect, which postulates that people use texting and communication through technologies allows us to keep people just the right distance away from us, not to close, not too far, just right! This communication through texting allows us to be together in other places, it allows us to control our attention. She found that the people she interviewed sacrificed conversation for connection, and that one person she interviewed wanted, to some day, learn to have a conversation. The technology that is being created is replacing human contact, that since “no one is listening”, we are turning to technology to fill the void that we have. The desire for consistency is resulting in the fact that we are investing more in technology and virtual world rather than our actual world. We are relying on technology to have companionship without the demands that a friendship would come with, and that young people turn to technology because it is a simple thing in a complicated changing teen’s world. Dr. Turckle conducted private interviews to make these observations with, most likely, open ended questions. Dr. Turckle is right, people in our world are turning to technology to replace the people in our lives. They are artificial relationships that do not extend beyond the digital world; they are not actual friends but just images a friendship. Destroy all technology! She was observing her participant’s with their knowledge, so in the framework of ethical guideline, this would be considered ethically valid. However, the observer effect can cause the participants to change some of their answers.
ReplyDeleteZIYAD NOUR!
I completely agree with what ms. Turkle said. Technology became our companion. it is our friend on which we can always count on and that will never betray us. it is the one that will always be with you for everything you need to do. Doctor Turkle in her speech expresses one of the greatest thoughts on human relationship with technology: we will never be alone until technology will exist. This is completely true because also when we are home and we have nothing to do, we use technology. It is almost as we see our computer, our cell phone, or our PlayStation as the illusion of companionship, so that we begin to expect more from technology than from other people. I got my first cell phone at the age of 10. I still remember it: it was the old nokia, the indestructible one, that I had always with me because it had the game “snake” that is the best phone game I ever had. I felt enriched from having a cell phone because it helped me become independent because I knew that no matter what happened I could call someone and be safe. Also because when I had nothing to do I used to play snake. I think that now it connects me to other people because it is impossible to see every person each moment of your life but with your cellphone you can text message a friend or call them. As a mother, doctor Turkle, is surely happy to have technology so she can always know where her sons / daughters are and be sure she can always protect her. Indirectly she is the first person influenced by technology because without it, in a society that is always more free, she would be forced to let her sons go away from home without knowing if they are secure or not. Human sciences put some emphasis on emotions, but majorly they think on community and how to better it so that everyone can be satisfied with what they have and know.
ReplyDeleteSebastiano Salini