Analysis Of Alone Together By Michale Turrkle

Lyana Beato Professor Deal English 1101 18 November 2016 “The Flight from Conversation” by Sherry Turkle: A Rhetorical Analysis In "The Flight from Conversation," published in The New York Times on April 21, 2012, and written by sociology and personality psychologist, Sherry Turkle, she discusses her concerns on how the world has chosen technological connection over conversation and physical interaction. Turkle informs her readers that “Over the past 15 years, I've studied technologies of mobile connection I've learned 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” (Sherry Turkle). Turkle helps develop her argument by building a connection to her audience and using personal experiences such as what she has observed from her students in the classroom and the personal experience of others.

Fuller Buckminster once said “Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.” Due to the inventions in computers and the internet, people have lost the ability to interact with one another face-to-face. In the article, “Authenticating,” Brain Christian emphasizes on how advancement in code programming has created a chat stimulated program called “Chatbots” which mimics human behavior. However, one’s attachment to these robotic humans have taken away the opportunity one has in order to have a real life conversation. Similarly, Francis Fukuyama in his article “Human Dignity,” mentions how he is concerned with what it means to be a human. He talks about Factor X which are inner traits such an emotions, and thoughts that distinguishes one person from another. Even though, technology is essential in everyday life, the misuse of it, such as constantly engaging in a conversation with a chatbot, can lead to abandoning the Factor X of humanity.

In “Growing Up Tethered”, Turkle also asks, “If it’s always possible to be in touch, when does one

The author and esteemed Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sherry Turkle, in the essay, “The Flight from Conversation,” published in the New York Times on April 22, 2012 addresses the topic of conversation versus connection. It argues that technology is interfering with the ability to communicate. Turkle supports her claim first by using ethos to establish her credibility, second by using logos to provide her logic, and finally pathos to relate and move the reader. Turkle establishes a sentimental tone in order to appeal to her audience’s emotions on the topic. The author’s overall purpose is to persuade her audience to be together and to interact in person so that they will

In “Alone Together: The Robotic Movement,” Sherry Turkle explains some of the negative effects that robots are having on our lives. She also explains how they can have a negative effect on our daily lives without us even noticing. I am someone who knows a great deal about technology, however I had no idea that close human-robot interaction was happening at such an inappropriate level. There are many different examples Turkle uses in the article, however, I will only talk about two. I agree with Turkle not only that there are ethical problems with human-robot interaction but also that a lot of other forms of technology might be doing more harm than good.

Adjetives to define friendship, as trust, caring, kindness, or compassion have been replaced by “likes”, and being “on call” as Turkle defines the way people is attached to their smart phones waiting for somebody who needs a comment or a like. Maintaining friendship now is not a question of conversation face to face, or a call, instead is a text message, a message that should be short and edited. People consider that this way or interaction is more efficient and less emotional than a real more demanding conversation. The author sustains that we are moving from friendship to a sense of

For instance, after a student has told her that they would rather talk to a screen then their own parents about dating advice, she states, “this enthusiasm speaks to how much we have confused conversation with connection and collectively seem to have embraced a new kind of delusion that accepts the stimulation of compassion,” (138). She uses reasoning from her own studies explaining how technology has affected our attitudes and mentality toward certain factors. For example, a high schooler wants to talk to an artificial intelligence program about dating advice rather than another person, such as a parent or sibling because they feel as if they can only trust a computer screen more than their family. In another instance, Turkle incorporates reasoning into why technology has become a big factor in our everyday lives. She states, “In the silence of connection, people are comforted by being in touch with a lot of people. We can’t get enough of one another if we can use technology to keep one another at distances we can control: not too close, not too far, just right,” (137). Here, Turkle reasons that technology is a favorable option to many, in for instance, having a conversation, because one has control of what they are saying, how they are saying it, and when they are saying it. All with the benefit of editing. Turkle says that one would rather be

The use of technology has increased rapidly as time has gone by.  In “Growing Up Tethered”, Turkle proves that the young generation need to be connected at all times by relying on their phones a lot. Reality is now based on technology, which people now live off of. Turkle’s argument in “Growing up Tethered” was used in the form of a book, with a well-organized smoothly transitioned article telling of the disconnection of the world we live in today, due to technologies such as cell phones, and social networks. We are slowly becoming a society of distance amongst each other with face to face conversations being limited to 20minutes phone conversations, and on social network sights we are making a portrayal of a person who we are

Is it easier for us to not have the face-to-face contact that way, so we just agree to stick with technology rather than the traditional courting sense? These machines have taken control over our lives and I think it’s too far gone for us to make any change. We have entered the stage in our life that technology is in control and is here to stay.

With enough difficulties in the world, people try to avoid getting into relationships that will give them negative experiences. Some people have experiences which present them with too much friction with one another. Technology provided us with ways we can experience interactions that present less friction, interactions like the ones with Artificial intelligence. As Turkle says in her essay “At the robotic moment, more than ever, our willingness to engage with the inanimate does not depend on being deceived but wanting to fill in the blanks” (459). With the new technology advancing, more and more people are willing to give it a try to fulfill their desire of connecting with others. The use of AI in many ways allows people to explore themselves without the problem with having

Sherry Turkle was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1948. She is a professor of Social Studies and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has written many works, such as Alone Together, and this article, The Flight from Conversation, was published in the New York Times in April of 2012. The claim she makes in the article is that communication technology is causing society to lose its ability to have a meaningful conversation. She presents several strong rhetorical strategies, and some weak ones, through logos, ethos, and pathos.

Both face-to-face interaction and social networking sites (including Myspace, Twitter, and Facebook) are forms of staying in contact with friends and family. While Nora from Turkle’s “Alone together” communicates her engagement and wedding date via email to her closest friends and family, she could have easily announced it face-to-face, at a party or through a Facebook event. While there are many ways of communicating information, the authenticity of these interactions as well as its importance is up for debate. For Turkle, face-to-face interaction is to social networking as the tortoise is to the robot: some can be moved by

Human, who is impossible to be perfect, have some traits, qualities and identities that they dislike. In most cases, while butcher their name, get nose surgery and erase symbol of original ethnicity, people cover what they prefer not to have. As technology become more and more important in the way of people communicate with each other, people can escape from cruel reality and be the protagonists in this virtual and controllable world, whereas it also performs as the hurdle of communication with the real world and decreases the importance of authenticity. In Sherry Turkle’s essay: “Alone Together”, she worries about how people become unauthentic due to the heavily dependence on the fake relationship created by social technology.

The first visual technique Turk uses to describe this is the juxtaposition of two scenes were a man asks for directions from a woman and the second when the man searches up directions on his phone whilst the woman walks past (2:30 - 2:38 and 4:00 - 4:08). Through the highlighted differences in the outcomes of the confrontation, we can see that a missed opportunity to start and develop one of the most important relationships in the man's life was lost because he was not paying attention and was too caught up in a virtual world to directly interact with the woman. The second device is activity and inactivity of the time-lapse scene where a man is standing still looking down at his phone whilst people walk past him without giving a second glance (4:08 - 4:19). This device implies that whilst on our phone we are disconnected from society and living in our own bubble. The use of fast motion accentuates the idea that so many people approach us daily yet we are not willing to engage with them because it has become the social norm to not ‘bother’ someone. Therefore, this visual device demonstrates that we have many opportunities to make connections yet we reject the opportunity and decide to live in our own online world. The final device is the facial expressions of a lady sitting down at

As a young catholic, it’s hard for me to find Christian music I like. I don’t really like to listen to Christian music as a genre, but I still want to glorify Jesus through my listening habits. As one the only exceptions, “Alone” by Hollyn offers a modern sound I can enjoy while providing meaningful lyrics at the same time.