How do you feel about the issues Turkle raises in her article and Ted Talk? Did the pandemic change the way you feel about yourself (personally and professionally) in relation to technology?
One can say that a lot has changed ever since the internet and smartphones came to our lives, since now we are able to connect with people across the world in matter of minutes. Maybe back in the day we had to send a letter and wait for weeks or months to get a reply, but did technology help us be closer? In the TED talk by Sherry Turkle she emphasized how technology has actually made us distant from our loved ones and people around us.
I think that technology has affected the way in which we used to do things. One thing that has changed is dinner time, which was the time in which the family would gather and have a conversation about how the day went, and anything they wanted to share. Nowadays people sit at the table an one can be watching a show on netflix, the other person could be texting their partner or boss, and there is no longer a bonding time during dinner.
Sherry Turkle's work often seems to explore the impacts of technology on human connection and the potential risks of excessive reliance on digital devices. We seem to expect more from technology and less from each other, and this has happened because technology appeals to us more when we are vulnerable and we are lonely and afraid of intimacy. We have technology that gives us an illusion of companionship without the need for actual friendship. She raises valid concerns about the ways in which technology can affect our relationships, empathy and self-perception. People become anxious without technology.
Regarding the pandemic, it has definitely changed the way in which everyone interact with technology. I think the pandemic fed the fire to rely more on technology since everyone was scared to come in contact with others during the outbreak. With increased reliance on digital communication and remote work, there was a shift in how individuals perceive themselves and their professional identities in relation to technology. I can remember teaching in zoom and not having to dress up and sometimes just having a nice shirt with pajama pants. I think I have experienced a greater integration of technology into my daily life, which has lead to new challenges and reflections on the role of technology. One example I can use is not wanting to go inside stores and do shopping, since I can now use instacart or do curbside pick up for stop and shop and BJs, I think this has changed the traditional shopping way.
In conclusion I think it is critical for individuals to evaluate their relationship with technology and find a healthy balance that aligns with their values and well-being. The pandemic may have prompted individuals such as me to reassess the technology usage and explore wats to maintain meaningful connection amidst a digitally mediated world. I think it was necessary for some people to go into the market to do grocery shopping as a way to interact society and help their emotional well being.
I agree with you, Jose, when you describe how the "dinner table" has changed over time. I often eat dinner with my boyfriend on the couch while watching something on T.V. There are few dinners that we eat without any other distractions and most of those occur when we go out to eat. Only when that technology (aside from our phones, which even then still come out) is removed are we able to really look each other in the eye and talk about our days. It's not that we're not close! Believe me, but it feels as though dinner time is seldom the place where we share our thoughts anymore!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great point about the curbside pickup! That never used to be a thing! Part of me thinks "How lazy!" and "Way to eliminate social interactions..." yet the other part of me thinks "How convenient!" ... We live in such busy lives that I have come to value how much my free time means to me. Free time away from this computer. Free time away from the T.V. too...
Hi Jose! I definitely agree with you when you say that people need to find a balance. I think that will look different for everyone. I enjoy the convenience of having my phone near me. I can always just look something up or shop online. Stores now offer "online only" to cater to where much of their purchases come from. It's a little sad to see I think, but everything old is new again and maybe some of the old ways will return...I just wonder how far people will go before a return to it.
ReplyDeleteHi Jose! the comment that you said about dinner time and Netflix, dinner table conversations rarely happen anymore. I see parents putting on YouTube videos or Netflix on their iPad while eating. this creates a distance between them. We use technology as companionship a sense of being lonely
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