You have probably experienced it before. You are in an environment with other people, perhaps they are your friends and family, and not a word is spoken. You’re all on your smartphones. MIT professor Sherry Turkle writes about this phenomenon in her book, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Mobile technology and social media have allowed people to stay connected virtually, however, she argues that our modern lives and mobile culture are making us less connected as we no longer connect with physical people but simulations of them. Turkle suggests that technology such as social media and smartphones take us away from our real-life vulnerabilities and allow us to enter a world with the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship. We can stay in touch with each other, while also hiding from each other. For example, we choose to text instead of talk, even when the person we are texting is not far away. Or at the workplace, we choose to email people who are in the same office. Texting and email are seen as less intrusive and easier to control and edit. We can hide behind our texts, it is much more difficult to hide in a face-to-face conversation. She suggests that human relationships are messy and demanding, and through the use of technology we clean them up, however, we sacrifice conversation and real human connection and we are able to hide from our problems. Essentially, she suggests that although new technology like smartphones and social media is supposed to bring us together, it actually makes us lonelier in the end. Do you find that mobile cultures and technology provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of intimacy? Has the culture of mobile technology made people actually feel more lonely and more overwhelmed? In the future, as our virtual lives and real lives become more intertwined, is it possible that human connections will be replaced by virtual connections or even AI connections?
I have attached Sherry Turkle’s Ted Talk. She brings up many interesting points.
Great questions! Cannot say anything about human relations, but for some people a constant stream of information is important. Others are excellent at multitasking and feel bored if cannot do several things at once. For them, a smartphone is a necessity.
A really interesting topic, Graham. I have often wondered if the pendulum will swing in the opposite direction when it comes to social media/networking and how we choose to connect with people. As technology continues on its upward trajectory, I doubt we will ever see a day where mobile tech isn’t a part of our daily lives, but I DO think people will crave more authentic, tactile forms of human connection.