Alone Together By Sherry Turkle

Clay Shirky who wrote Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable (1993) argues that society doesn’t need newspapers society needs journalism to save society. Shirky supports this argument by giving a historical background to the problems newspapers face and how the problems have developed over time and the solutions society has came up with. The blogger concludes that in order for journalism to go farther new models must be created in place of past molds. Shirky directs this blog toward the current and future generations in attempt to motivate new models and methods of journalism.

We’ve reached the point where no person could ever possibly keep up with technology, which has and still is growing at an inconceivable rate. For years people all around the world have debated this issue, when does technology start to become dangerous instead of helpful? Countless movies, stories, and warnings have been given about the possible repercussions such advancements will have on society. One piece of writing that delves into the topic is a book written by Sherry Turkle, called Alone Together. Throughout the writing, Turkle goes into the negative effects technology has had on society and the way humans interact with each other as a society.

In the chapter, "No Need to Call," by Sherry Turkle, the author uses repetition, contrast, and anomalies, to exemplify today’s generations inability to talk on the phone. With our world consumed with the latest technology, all available at the tips of our fingers, it's no wonder this generation doesn't even know how to hold a phone conversation properly. Texting is the newest way of communicating with one another. It is fast, easy, and convenient. However, only texting and not speaking on the phone is not preparing this generation for the real world.

In her essay “No Need to Call,” Sherry Turkle makes the claim that smart phones, texting in particular, are having a negative effect on the way humans interact and communicate with each other. The issue of how smart phones are changing our social behaviors is important because it can potentially impact the future of the human race. With smart phones, computers and tablets, our society is entering into uncharted territory and we cannot be certain of how the outcome will change our social interactions. Figuring out whether or not these changes are negative or positive is a pertinent topic for all people because everyone is affected by these new technologies in their everyday lives, whether they have them or not. Turkle believes that the way we are communicating through these devices is starting to develop us into humans who are too reliant on impersonal forms of communication to the point that it is changing how we interact with others.

Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology, Sherry Turkle in her article, The Flight from Conversation, addresses the topic of how technology has affected today’s society and argues that people are removed from their colleagues, friends, and family due to spending a substantial amount of their time communicating through technology. Turkle supports her assertion first by using ethos to establish herself as an expert on the topic, second by using logos to add factual evidence to support her argument, and third by using pathos to connect the topic of her argument to the reader. The author’s overall purpose is to expose how technology is negatively affecting our social and communication skills in order to encourage people to change

What does the word family mean to you? In my opinion, family means everything to me. It’s the people I knew since I was born, who I know I can turn to anytime needed. Everyone has their own definition of family, it can be positive, negative, or even both. In the world’s society everyone is born into a family, it can be a traditional, a un-blood related, or an extended family. No matter how well a family relationship can be there is no such thing as a perfect family. In many classic pieces of literature, many writers’ use themes of conflict between the children and their parents. It can be conflicts towards each other or conflicts the family experiences together. In many well know novels, many characters from tragic events of abuse, cruelty, and negligent events kept their courage to survive through terrible events. The story of “Ellen Foster” Kaye Gibbons takes a reader inside a story of young orphaned girl, who is passed down to every family until the she is able to find the perfect one she fit into. In the classic novel “Night” author Elie Wiesel writes a historical piece about a young boy’s experience in a concentration camp. Losing half of his family the young boy Eliezer has to fight with his father through suffering tactics from the Nazis. The classic play “Romeo and Juliet”, William Shakespeare writes a tragic piece about two young lovers being forced to disobey family orders to be with each other. In all three pieces of literature, the characters struggle

As day progresses so as technology. In the modern society high technology devices have become indispensable to human. Electronic machines have gradually been starting to replace human work. At a factory work place, restaurant kitchen, and household laundry rooms, the improvement of technology can be seen anywhere. Mobile phone, which has only become prevalent in a few decades, can be found in anyone’s jeans pocket. However, is this situation an evolution to a new era or an over-reliance on technology. Sherry Turkle, the author of “The Empathy Diaries” expresses her concern on modern generation overusing electronic devices. She points out her main argument that the situation has deteriorated to the extend where children are losing their empathy and ability to social. Turkle, promoting the importance of conversation, not only criticize young generations for being overly obsess with electronic devices, but also oppose the ones who understand the the significance of conversation for not passing down the knowledge. It is clear that in Turkle’s perspective the improvement of technology has brought up issues that do not exist ever before. Despite that the benefit form electronic devices are inevitable the problems it brings about can never be look down. On the condition that people do not have enough self-control to overcome with the tempt form high technology devices can not only bring human short term benefits but lifetime long harm with its overly thoughtful benefits.

All advantages have corresponding disadvantages. Sherry Turkle’s essay “Connectivity and its Discontents” address her stance towards technological communication. Throughout her essay, she provides examples that illustrate how the world is consistently depending on technology for communication. Turkle’s opinion towards the issue is that, “she believes we’ll eventually sacrifice communication for mere connection.” Her examples make the reader consider that technological communication leads to human beings losing intensity in communication in both personal and professional situations because of distraction and convenience. The twenty-first century widely introduced a variety technological advancements which made people rely often on the technology. Thinking back to her opinion towards the issue I would agree with the idea that humans are becoming too attached to technology, but I would disagree that technology draws a wedge between people.

In the poem “Still Memory” by Mary Karr, the speaker, through a dream like memory, re-experiences a snapshot in time that held particular significance in her childhood. Karr focuses on the seemingly inconsequential details that made mornings in her childhood home memorable for her. She describes the morning scene with the use of sensory, imagery and onomatopoeia to make the dream particularly zoetic. Although the dream is seen from this childlike aspect, Karr highlights how dreamlike this memory is and how memories are fluid and can be easily moulded and altered by the mind-they are not “still” as the title proposes. The writer also keeps the poem very dreamlike in order to remind the reader that the memory, although it can be recollected and valued, it is never going to be repeated and that the speaker is aware that things can never be this way again. Furthermore, the relation of the poem to dreams brings in messages how of heavily a person can become mesmerized by their memories.

“No Need to Call” by Sherry Turkle is an article written about the relationship people have with technology, and specifically with communicating via technology. How it has affected the way we want to interact with people, or how we end up interacting with people. This being due to social norms having changed when it comes to our way of interacting, such as the meaning behind making phone calls rather than texting. The article itself brings up many viewpoints as well as different opinions on the subject, plus a few pros and cons to show that certain things are not always to be seen as black and white. Technology has its advantages, but even the most tech savvy, devoted people have to admit that it has its disadvantages, brought up in this article. Examples are brought up with each point to

This research has been conducted due to the fact that some researchers have claimed that “journalism is dying” whilst others have argued that “journalism is not dying but is simply evolving” (Blatchford: 2014). This has been a much contested debate triggered by the decline of news circulation from traditional news sources i.e. newspapers, television and radio together with the technological advances of the internet and social media (Cub Reporters: 2010). This has raised many questions and firstly, this dissertation will assess whether the rise of social media has led to the decline of news circulation from traditional news sources. Secondly, this paper will look at what the advantages and disadvantages of using social media as a news distributor are for professional journalists and the general public. Lastly, this study aims to investigate

Everyday technology has become a strain on the real world. People would rather have a conversation online than face to face. In today’s society, everything is seemed to be done online, whether it is having a conversation or even trying to make new friends. In The Flight from Conversation, Sherry Turkle asserts that technology has had a negative impact on how we socialize with one another, lessening the conversation. Turkle, who has spent years researching the relationship with technology and humans, uses real world situations where technology has not only changed the way someone socializes but has changed their persona and character making the audience feel pitiful and reflective of their own actions. The author also uses logical reasoning

Certain media theorists such as Sherry Turkle do an incredible job on studying these properties of technology and their bearing on us, but sometimes seem to dwell on the negative side of the analysis. In short some of these media theorists do astonishing work studying the impact socially that using and communicating through modern technology has, but then takes a negative stance due to their archaic understanding of what is capable with these technologies. We have come so far in the past years in advancing humanity and its natural predicaments while being heavily reliant on technology to communicate. Not noting that advancement is pessimistic and

It is amazing how everyone’s life is changing by through us of technology. “Technology by definition means, the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science”(Technology). Today people use different kinds of technology like: cellphones, iPods, laptops, mp3s, and all of the devices create a convenient and comfort for every individual. As technology is updating every day, and every second it is affecting people’s lives and changing the pace of everything that relates to humans’ routines. One of the most important things that technology changes is the way everyone communicates. Technologies create more powerful and effective ways of communication. People are getting used to a new way to be alone together. Conversation in number and quality decrease as technology replaces in human interaction. In this article author gives insight into how technology distracts people without considering what price they are paying and persuades how technology has a huge effect on people’s conversation.

It is without a doubt that the Globalisation of the media has increased our access to information about people and events around the world. However, during the process it has also shifted issues on what should or should not be in the public domain due to media ownership led by Western media corporations. The media shape is reconstructing itself, forming a singular global body playing an essential part in our democracy socially, politically, economically and culturally. Due to this, the effects of globalisation towards Journalism have become very debatable to whether it is benefiting the practice of journalism or hindering it. During the course of this essay, it will explore the affect globalisation has on the media (especially journalism), the affect of media ownership and how new technologies have influenced journalism.