Term Paper: Sir Ian Javier de Guzman, Marge Ysabelle T. Bsmid - 1

TERM
PAPER
Sir Ian Javier
De Guzman, Marge Ysabelle T.

BSMID – 1
The Hindrances of Technology in the Value of Communication
I. Introduction
In the article “The Flight from Conversation” Sherry Turkle expresses her
opinions on the modern-day communication and how it is affected by social
media. Turkle explains how conversation is being sacrificed for communication,
due to the fact that people in the present are always connected with their
devices for texting, reading e-mails, etcetera. She continues and explains the
new concept of “alone together” even though people don’t have face to face
conversations as much as they use to, they are still communicating through
social media. Turkle is also explaining that this form of communication is much
more controlled; people are able to keep one another at distances of their own
choice. “We are together, but each of us is in our own bubble, furiously
connected to keyboards and tiny touch screens”, as mentioned earlier people are
secluding themselves able to keep comfortable distances from others while still
being able to communicate via social media. With all the changes in technology
and the growth of technology the increase of connections has led to a loss in
face to face conversation, Sherry Turkle concludes “So I say, look up, look at one
another, and let’s start the conversation”, to reestablish the lost connection of
conversation. She also emphasizes that although many young people in company
and student in college library are working and breathing under the same
atmosphere, but they are in their own bubble.
Sherry Turkle is a psychologist and professor at M.I.T. and the author,
most recently, of “Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and
Less From Each Other.” The author introduces her credibility of studied
technologies of mobile connection for the past 15 years. Then she points out the
idea of “alone together”. Throughout her 15 years study and research, the
author discovered that many people barely talk with each other even when they
are next to each other, even friends and family member doesn’t communicate
face to face as much as it used to be before.
II. Body
According to Carolyn Heinrich, professor of public policy, education and

economics at Vanderbilt University, wrote, “If someone would have told me I
was going to spend 10-12 hours in front of a computer most days to do my
job, I would never have chosen my current occupation, but it seems like most
jobs these days require constant computer use. We do everything
electronically now -communications, writing/documentation, searching for
information, etc. – or filling out a survey like this one! I would much rather be
having this conversation via a phone survey than sitting and typing at my
computer. … Also, we text and email in most of our personal communications
now, too, rather than speaking by phone or meeting up in person. I email
with a colleague two office doors down from me rather than arranging a
meeting.” This article talks about the use of technology prevents us on doing
some task that can be done without the use of it.
As stated by a professor at one of the world’s leading technological

universities who is well-known for several decades of research into human-
computer interaction wrote, “For the worse: The ritual of a weekly phone call
with friends where there seemed like enough ‘space’ to talk about things in a
meaningful way has eroded to texting to ‘keep up.’ On the one hand, several
of my friends feel more in touch because they are sharing memes, feel they
are sharing witty things ‘on the spot,’ but there is less going into depth. We
don’t seem to be able to maintain both. That is what is so curious.” I, myself
is guilty of using technology when there are family gatherings there are times
that I would be busy and gets too focused on my phone that I sometimes
forgot where I am or who I am with. I was too busy with my own bubble.
Even when I’m out with my friends, we were gathered but all of us were busy
with our phones, texting whoever, playing mobile games and a like. I
sometimes am aware of what was happening in our gatherings and be
disappointed since we only meet like one or two times because we’re busy
with school and work. Social Media has become a driving force in today’s
society. Can you remember a time when you went a whole day without
looking at your phone or connecting to the internet to connect with
someone? Here’s a better question: when was the last time you had a
conversation with someone in person where you didn’t have an awkward
pause to look at your phone to send a tweet?
As mentioned by Mark Boyle in “Technology destroys people and places.

I’m rejecting it”, that technology destroys places. Aside from the oceans, rivers,
topsoil, forests, mountains and meadows, it helps us massacre and pollute with
ever-improving precision and speed, its complex set of cogs quickly spreads us
out all over the world, safe in the knowledge that we can stay in touch with
loved ones via technologies that offer what is really only a toxic substitute for
real connection and time together. I’m agreeing to what he said because, I’ve
seen a group of people sitting together and they are all on their phones at once
and I was a part of them. The generation nowadays are too busy using their
phones to even value the time of being together. Instead of communicating to
each other we would prefer using our phones.
III. Conclusion
Turkle explains what technology has done to society. How it has bought
us closer, but at the same time made us more distant. “The littlest technology
gadgets we have is not only changing what we do but how we are.” People
become so engrossed with their technology that they forget about the world
around them. We may sit together, “but each of us is in our own bubble,
furiously connected to keyboards and tiny touch screens.” This changes how we
fundamentally behave and change the way we interact with each other,
expecting faster answers. She concludes the article by saying that people need
to and start conversations to get things back on track. People have become so
accustomed to technologies that it is a new way of being alone together. A
person have they personal space but can communicate with other without having
to meet the other person. Not only have technology have change our personal
lives but also change the way people communicate in the office. The boss can be
in the office but can have a regular conversant with and employee without
meeting them. The act of having a conversation with face to face have change
over the years, people rely on technology to communicate with each other.
There are pros and cons on using technology, but we should not abuse it and
not forget about having a conversation on a daily basis. We’ve been missing out
on the real life because we are too focused on sharing new stories, tweeting,
posting pictures and alike on social media that we tend to forget that we have
friends and family who we can talk to about our problems or share stories to
them personally. It would be impossible to know how the person really feels in
real life than just seeing them posting and sharing it to the world. We have lost
the value of communication because of technology.

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Term Paper: Sir Ian Javier de Guzman, Marge Ysabelle T. Bsmid - 1

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Copyright:

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TERM

Sir Ian Javier

De Guzman, Marge Ysabelle T.

According to Carolyn Heinrich, professor of public policy, education and

As stated by a professor at one of the world’s leading technological

As mentioned by Mark Boyle in “Technology destroys people and places.

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