Intriguing article by a well known scholar on technology issues that talks about the way that we are more and more often "alone together," because some people are constantly focused on mobile technologies and computers, even when they meet together in groups (social, work meetings, class). This offers the "silence of connection" where we are in touch with many people virtually but can control it to "keep them at bay" as we wish. Thus Turkle argues that we are shifting from real conversation to what she calls "little sips" of connection that provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of relationship and self reflection.
This may not be all that serious in and of itself, but when it starts substituting for real conversations and relationships it has some important implications for all of us. Are we becoming addicted to constant stimulation with instant messages, moving images, the ability to hop from website to facebook to the latest phone app? And are we losing the ability to enjoy reflective thought or even solitude, by immediately reaching toward our virtual connector when we get bored?
A most poignant example offered by Turkle is a 16 year old boy who is constantly texting and says"almost wistfully" -- “Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation.”
And what are the implications of these ideas for the issues we have been talking about in class related to power issues, particularly those related to race/ethnicity, gender and culture?
Any reactions?
With regards to power related issues, if people are gradually more and more connected to their technological modes of communication, they are absolutely limiting themselves to the information that is available to them through those connections. Where does that information come from? It is produced by those in power, and the information is only presented through one lens.
ReplyDeleteWhen we learn how to write an essay in college, are we told to only look at secondary sources? Or, to only reference one individual's quotes or one set of newspaper articles in support of our arguments? No. The best way to write an analysis is to use a multitude of evidence, and this is what we should do day to day. No one should just get their current events from FB and twitter, but using those virtual worlds as supplements to newspapers, blogs, and online discussions can be useful--and give you multiple lenses.
Secondly, if people are introverted and absorbing information from the same sources time and time again, how can they (we) break out of the stereotypes wrapped into those sources surrounding gender, culture, and race? If people do not allow themselves time for self reflection then how can they dissent from what is being represented in the resources they are using?
I do think that this is an important issue. Technology definitely makes our lives easier in many ways - but at what cost? I am nostalgic about the times when we used to pen letters and have face-to-face conversations, when children played with other children rather than with a machine, and before the English language got converted to a bunch of text lingo. Hardly a catalyst for creativity.
ReplyDeleteThat is a biased look at the issue, I admit. I do understand the importance of technology - at how inter-connected it has made the world, and the exchange of ideas and sharing of information that this allows. But what I resent is the fact that we seem to have become so dependent on it.
Nowadays, with the abundant distractions that are available to us, it is so easy to "kill time" or take a break without actually doing something that provides genuine pleasure or enjoyment the way a hobby used to.
I completely agree with Yamuna's comment and also find myself nostalgic for toys and games like Skip-its, sidewalk chalk, and freeze-tag rather than today's constant stream of video and computer games. I was floored over Christmas break when my cousin's two-year-old son spent hours playing on his mom's iphone. They even make special kid-friendly "Laugh and Learn" ipod/phone cases now that resemble a standard kid's toy, but with a $300 piece of technology in the center of it (check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Laugh-Learn-Apptivity-Case/dp/B004UU9W78) I find this constant need for stimulation to be quite concerning, not only for kids, but also for adults. It is unbelievable to me how common it is today to go into a restaurant and see couples supposedly on a date, but each with their phones out – so much for getting to know one another! Although I grumbled about it at the time, I am now grateful that both my and my fiance’s parents banned video games at home growing up. This, along with the fact that neither my fiancé or I have any of the latest gadgets, I feel make us much better partners for one another because we know how to enjoy each other’s company, rather than just presence. While I am grateful for the efficiency and communication ability that technology has brought into the world, I think it’s important for everyone to unplug and come back down to earth every now and again and learn to be reminded of the joy in the simple things in life.
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