In this TED Talk, “Connected, but Alone?” by Sherry Turkle, she talks about how the desire to constantly be connected has actually made us more alone. Because of the increase of use of technology, people are in constant connection with anyone they want. However, this connection isn’t to the same strength as having a conversation. People suffer what Turkle called the “Goldilocks effect”, where people don’t want others too close, but also not too far away. Because of this strange balance, people are not getting to learn as much about each other and are, in turn, learning less about themselves. All the little “sips” of communication through technology still doesn’t add up to a full “gulp” of conversation. Technology has given people the false sense that they are always being heard, and are never alone, when in reality they are more alone than they ever have been. The whole point of Turkle’s talk is that we need to learn how to be alone and have solitude, because if we don’t we will always continue to be lonely.
Sherry Turkle is definitely correct that technology has made us more alone, as I have seen this through my own personal experience. She spends most a good portion of her time addressing how technology has taken over our everyday lives. In her TED talk, Turkle talks about how “People want to be with each other, but also elsewhere — connected to all the different places that they want to be”. This quote really connects to my personal experiences, as I have often been with people who are constantly on their phones. Whether we are having dinner at a restaurant, or just watching a local sports game, people always seem to be constantly attracted to their phones. They are never completely engaged in the moment they are in.
Seems like we have the same viewpoint for the most part. We chose the exact same quote, so I agree with the ideas expressed in that. It is interesting that you agree that technology makes us more lonely due to the idea that friends are always on their phones and never there in the moment. I would disagree partially with the idea that technology makes us more alone in the aspect that it does connect us with more people than we would ever see or talk to in person. Loneliness cannot narrow itself down to mainly technology, but also how the user applies the technology in a positive way rather than in a way that will end up making them “lonelier” and more isolated.