SUMMARY
Working with the author, Sherry Turkle, with a doctorate in sociology and personality psychology, authored the book “In Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age.” The intro to her book being “The Empathy Diaries” and the two student writers from the University of New England; Malayna Hawxwell and Nolan Sibley. I wrote about the importance of conversations and how technology is taking away from us as humans. Conversations are a place where we connect, empathize, learn social cues, and gain opportunities. It also leads to deeper thinking and deeper conversations. Although with technology around us all the time now we hide from conversations leaving us to lose skills like empathy, conversating and miss opportunities.
1ST DRAFT
Technology is a huge part of our everyday lives now. It’s evolving at a fast pace, and we can’t keep up as of right now. We are struggling to find a healthy balance and are seeing negative effects on how we read, write, think, and conversate. It allows us to connect with many people and gain opportunities we wouldn’t have without it, but we can’t continue to overconsume “fake news” and an overload of media. We take info in short clips at a fast pace, supplying us with an overload of information. Along with info we also take in all sorts of views and opinions which may change our thinking into more or a social media standard way. I have my positive and negative attitudes towards it. Without technology we wouldn’t be where we are in the world today on a positive aspect but as for human potential, we need to fix the arising problems.
In the world now mostly everything is digital, almost everybody, every day is digitally writing. It allows us to quickly get in contact with people, expand networking opportunities, and can be a helpful resource. So no, I don’t think technology is evil, but I do think we need to find a healthy balance. It allows us to have several resources available to us like online books, textbooks for school, and audiobooks. I have found these options to be cheaper for students and very helpful. I love to write on a computer as it’s easier to fix mistakes without it looking messy. I also feel it prolongs the amount of time I can write an essay as my hand gets less tired. With the use of technology, it allows me to find better words to enhance my vocabulary in my writings. It’s amazing how everyone and anyone now has the chance to deep dive into any topic they want to expand their knowledge or just have access to the internet. One of my favorite positives to technology is the access for me to talk to my friends and family. I call at least one of my friends from home daily and I’m very thankful for the ability to do so easily with the advancement of technology. Although, the downsides to technology since we live in a digitized world, allowing us to connect with people anytime but is taking away from real life conversations. Conversation is so important as it gives us a sense of meaning to life. Imagine a life where you never talked to someone face-to-face. This would cause us to be missing important skills of socials cues, empathy and connection. Conversations are vital to our existence, but we are losing our motivation to want to talk in person. We find our phones as an escape route and are starting to have shallow thinking because over the phone because it’s “not rude” to answer someone right away like you would be expected to in person. It’s evolving fast and while doing so it’s affecting how we think, write, read, and conversate. Since it’s so fast paced, we have begun to read differently causing us to think differently. We are now provided with short clips of information receiving all different ideas and opinions at a fast pace. Social media is changing our thinking as we become accustomed to social media standards.
800+ WORDS
Technology is a huge part of our everyday lives now. It’s evolving at a fast pace, and we can’t keep up as of right now. We are struggling to find a healthy balance and are seeing negative effects on how we read, write, think, and conversate. It allows us to connect with many people and gain opportunities we wouldn’t have without it, but we can’t continue to overconsume “fake news” and an overload of media. We take info in short clips at a fast pace, supplying us with an overload of information. Along with info we also take in all sorts of views and opinions which may change our thinking into more or a social media standard way. I have my positive and negative attitudes towards it. Without technology we wouldn’t be where we are in the world today on a positive aspect but as for human potential, we need to fix the arising problems.
In the world now mostly everything is digital, almost everybody, every day is digitally writing. It allows us to quickly get in contact with people, expand networking opportunities, and can be a helpful resource. So no, I don’t think technology is evil, but I do think we need to find a healthy balance. It allows us to have several resources available to us like online books, textbooks for school, and audiobooks. I have found these options to be cheaper for students and very helpful. I love to write on a computer as it’s easier to fix mistakes without it looking messy. I also feel it prolongs the amount of time I can write an essay as my hand gets less tired. With the use of technology, it allows me to find better words to enhance my vocabulary in my writings. It’s amazing how everyone and anyone now has the chance to deep dive into any topic they want to expand their knowledge or just have access to the internet. One of my favorite positives to technology is the access for me to talk to my friends and family. I call at least one of my friends from home daily and I’m very thankful for the ability to do so easily with the advancement of technology. Although, the downsides to technology since we live in a digitized world, allowing us to connect with people anytime but is taking away from real life conversations. Conversation is so important as it gives us a sense of meaning to life. Imagine a life where you never talked to someone face-to-face. This would cause us to be missing important skills of socials cues, empathy and connection. Conversations are vital to our existence, but we are losing our motivation to want to talk in person. We find our phones as an escape route and are starting to have shallow thinking because over the phone because it’s “not rude” to answer someone right away like you would be expected to in person. It’s evolving fast and while doing so it’s affecting how we think, write, read, and conversate. Since it’s so fast paced, we have begun to read differently causing us to think differently. We are now provided with short clips of information receiving all different ideas and opinions at a fast pace. Social media is changing our thinking as we become accustomed to social media standards.
Technology has many downsides as it takes away from our human potential. Our human potential to push ourselves to our fullest, depending on our standard. But as social media is in our lives now people tend to lose their own standards and stick to the societal standards. In our society basically everyone is connected to the internet in some way and for most it’s their cell phones. Within our cell phones we have the web and various other media, therefore it can cause a disconnection with people talking in real life. The disconnect will show in people when they don’t know how to hold a conversation because they are so used to just texting and being virtual. It can be shown in many ways and unfortunately, we are still trying to figure out a balance. Although it can in some ways or circumstances help grow connections it can also take away the depth of that connection. Our society is beginning to choose media over people. It’s easy to find comfort and acceptance online so we shy away from in person interactions. Without being face-to-face you can’t see the body language which usually expresses more than words. Face to face conversations is vital for us to learn empathy, grow deeper connections, and give us a reason to live. By talking with someone in person for a couple hours you can learn a lot about them, about similarities you guys’ share, and maybe similar experiences you both went through. Being vulnerable connects people. By having these conversations, you can also learn a lot about yourself. Maybe they will spark an interest you didn’t know you had or have a different opinion that you agree with. This is also where empathy comes in and when you have these deeper level conversations you can be empathic with someone. As a society some of us still aren’t seeing the effects of technology and how it’s negatively impacting us. In some ways it’s taking away from our creative minds and our motivation. The younger generations are getting hit harder with this, but since we are overconsuming media, and our brains are neuroplastic, we are adapting to the internet as teens and adults as well. This isn’t good for us because we are overusing our brains with the overload of information. We wake up in the morning and use our phones, maybe some of us don’t think so but this is bad for our brains. We are constantly chipping away at our brain’s functions and changing the way it works and how we think, read, write and conversate.
1200+ WORDS
The Importance of Conversations
Conversations are vital to our existence as humans. It’s where we grow, learn empathy, connect, and express ourselves. It seems to me that our society is becoming accustomed to surface level talking and forgetting the positive aspects conversations bring us. Such as acceptance and connections but ultimately, what is at stake here is our ability to engage in deep conversations from effects of the internet or without the interruption of technology. In support of my claims, I will be working with the author, Sherry Turkle, with a doctorate in sociology and personality psychology, who wrote the book “In Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age”. The intro to her book being “The Empathy Diaries” where she writes about why she believes technology is an oncoming issue to how we empathize and connect, along with the effects on our reading, writing and thinking. Along with two student writers from the University of New England; Malayna Hawxwell and Nolan Sibley. Hawxwell focuses on the importance of connection and some of the positive aspects’ technology has brought to us. Sibley ties all our ideas together into one essay where he writes about the importance of conversations and how social media is causing a disconnection in people.
Conversations are what make connections, empathy, and deeper thinking happen. We grow as people when we push ourselves to try new things, have conversations we don’t want to have and give ourselves time to reflect. With the constant and chaotic flow of media it can be hard for us to stop, take a breath and realize we are so wrapped up in a digital world that honestly doesn’t do much good for us. We are letting it take precious time from us and falling into the trap of social media. A place full of misinformation, lies, drama and lots of useless information. I’m not saying the internet is all bad, because I do believe it amazing, we have evolved to this point where we have easy access to communicate with any person at any time. But if we take advantage of the internet and let it take control of us, we are losing important skills that we gain from being in person. In making this comment, Turkle warns that “This new mediated life has gotten us into trouble. Face-to-face conversation is the most human—and humanizing – thing we do. Fully present to one another, we learn to listen. It’s where we experience the joy of being heard, of being understood. And conversation advances self-reflection, the conversations with ourselves that are the cornerstone of early development and continue throughout life” (Turkle 334). We are forgetting the connection, empathy, and emotions only face-to-face conversations can bring to us. These fundamental skills of listening, empathy, etc. are being chipped away by the internet. Similarly, Sibley states one of our problems is that “it is this unconscious reliance of technology that has truly impacted the way we communicate with one another” (Sibley para 2). Conversations have changed in various ways since technology has come into our lives. A couple of ways it changed conversations is how deep our conversations go when technology is present. If we aren’t comfortable with ourselves and having conversations we tend to hide on our phones now. People can be so addicted that they will be talking to you while on their phone, check their phone while in a conversation or even be on their phone while you’re talking to them. This isn’t what the world is supposed to be like, we’re making ourselves into robots. If we are right about how detrimental the oncoming effects of technology are, then major consequences follow for our future generations.
Consequences include the loss of connections. This has a negative impact on us humas as conversations are what make us feel accepted and that’s all we truly need and search for in life. Working with Turkle who focuses on the loss of empathy and the student writer Malayna Hawxwell who wrote about the positives and negatives of technology on us humans. Furthermore, Turkle addresses that “It all adds up to a flight from conversation – at least from conversation that is open-ended and spontaneous, conversation in which we play with ideas, in which we allow ourselves to be fully present and vulnerable. Yet, these are the conversations where empathy and intimacy flourish and social action gains strength” (Turkle 344). Creative thinking and vulnerability create deeper conversations. We gain strength in our conversating abilities and grow as a person. Essentially Hawxwell agrees and feels the negatives outweigh the positives but expresses her thoughts on the positive aspects of technology. She states that “Technology provides humanity with a sense of connection as well as a sense of disconnection. Technology connects us by opening up communication to people all over the world.” … “But it also disconnects us by the way it distracts us and takes us away from reality. It takes away from our ability to converse and think. While technology may have many benefits, there are also downsides (Hawxwell para 1). Technology brings us the opportunity we’ve never had before, with the ability to contact people so easily, work online, and numerous other things. But it’s bringing us into a state of disaster, as we don’t know how to fully live without technology and have vulnerable conversations. Conversations are a place where you open yourself up to opportunities, learn how to be a good listener, and can find acceptance.
In my life conversations have led me to lots of new opportunities, growth, and acceptance. Starting in college with no friends was one of the weirdest feelings because I haven’t felt that alone in years. Freshman year of high school I had to make new friends, as I went to a tech school and left the people I knew from middle school and it was during covid, so it was a little different but by senior year my grade basically all knew each other. I had my group of friends, and it felt everything was in place. I knew who my people were, I had a good job and then college came, and I had to do it all over again. So, it’s the beginning of the year I have my two roommates, and some people I met at orientation. As the first couple weeks go by, we all start meeting new people but for the most part it’s only surface level. Obviously, it takes time for connections to grow, and they have. At this point in the semester, we have our friends. But how did these friendships happen? Well, through conversations that had meaning and depth to them. We seek people that have similar interests to us and that’s also how we feel accepted. That’s all we really search for in life. People may feel more lost in life or depressed if they don’t have friends because they don’t have someone to express their thoughts and feel supported and loved. But since we use technology to escape these face-to-face conversations, we are missing out on these connections that bring humans so much joy. Our lives have changed since technology became so prominent in our everyday lives. Turkle did a study on kids at elementary school and at that young age they were already exposed to the internet. She found that kids found comfort on the internet to explore who they were, well yes it amazing kids have such a space. Thats also what conversation and real-life experiences are supposed to do for us. Conversations bring us close to people and grow up to realize what our personal standards and beliefs are and who we want to be around. But as Sibley expressed, we are struggling to have conversations without the distractions of technology. We have changed our views on respect and standards when it comes to technology being involved. With the constant opinions and social standards on social media everyone tries to keep up with to fit in. But that’s a lot of mental stress added for no reason and some people have come to the realization none of that matters but some people are stuck in the mindset of fitting in.
FINAL ESSAY
