Do you believe technology is a tool or a distraction? Sherry Turkle, a doctorate in sociology and personality psychology from Harvard, believes it’s a distraction and it’s not helping us grow as individuals ,and become different from one another. Turkle shares her experience with being in a classroom with younger children and how they have gotten affected by technology. Emerson Giella ,a freshman at the University of New England shares her opinions about if it’s a tool or a distraction. Giella believes that it could be used as a tool sometimes but also as a distraction it depends on how you use it. Alicia Burr Also a freshman at the University of New England shared her thoughts on what technology has done to her and how technology has impacted on her life. She explains that we are definitely addicted to it but it has some pros to it so it could be a resource but a distraction too. Technology is an addictive distraction if we don’t use it properly.
Turkle shares a lot about how we don’t have patience now due to technology and when we get “bored” we don’t let ourselves think outside the box, we just go straight to our phones. Which I believe is very true because we have it right at our fingertips so we don’t need to think of anything else to do. Burr Also explained how we pay for quicker services because we don’t have that patience as a society anymore. “ Now we pay for “instant” tv. You watch only what you want, with no ads. I believe this is a great tool ,but is it making us watch tv more because it’s better. Is it now a distraction because we are watching tv and not thinking outside the box? Burr talked about how this is great and all but “ the technology of phones, disconnects and losing basic human skills”.(Burr) One of the basic skills she referred to was spell check and how she has gotten lazy when she was writing and the computer will just fix it for her and she won’t even notice sometimes. Also I have noticed a lot of times at restaurants if there is a tv , and there is a game going on there is less conversations at the table , and everyone is distracted by what’s on the tv. Us becoming lazy is just a sign of how we are letting technology do all the work for us and we just sit back and watch.
Sometimes we do use technology properly and it has a lot of good outcomes. Burr talks about the good ways her family has used technology and how it has brought joy to her. “ My mom videotaped everything and saved all the cds. Now that both grandparents have passed I am very grateful to be able to go back and watch not only baby me, but also seeing and hearing my grandparents voices”(Burr). Technology is not all bad and this is a great explanation of how good it can be if we dont let it distract us from doing the wrong things. Just like Burr if technology wasn’t there I wouldn’t have known what my grandpa looked like even though I met him but I was very little so I don’t remember. It’s not only nice to see photos when someone passed away but it’s nice to go back and see all the fun memories you had even with people that are still here. Giella also believes that technology can be a good thing if used well. “ We can connect in numerous ways. Technology is a sufficient way to connect with loved ones and even the world.”( Giella). Similar to what Giella was saying if we didn’t have technology we wouldn’t be able to talk to our family and friends as much as we do and that helps our mental health a lot. Also it has helped our safety alot and it’s easier to get out important information about a suspect or even a hurricane. Another big one is google maps or any direction assistant without those we would be very lost and we wouldn’t be able to travel far and explore lots of things and get to places in a timely manner. .There are many pros to technology and we have used them to our advantage but sometimes the other apps or cool things in technology distract us from knowing we are addicted.
There are many pros and cons to technology especially when it comes to younger children and how they get affected by it. Turkle shares her experiences with how technology affects children in the classroom. “ It’s a struggle to get children to talk to each other in class.”( turkle). Turkle is saying how when there are tablets or computers on site it’s hard for them to put up their heads to have a conversation. because most parents use technology as a reward system so when they have their ipad in their hands they want to make sure they focus and pay attention because they only have it for a little bit. This is where I feel like parenting has gone down because technology should not be a reward because it’s not benefiting them at all and they know they want to be on it forever. A reward should be a toy so they can work on their fine motor skills.
Health nuts are often seen suggesting “non-toxic foods” on Instagram or promoting the next new diet that will “make you feel and look better than ever” in a magazine you see in the grocery store. They try to lead lives cleansed of the toxins they think are in foods or their bodies. But often, it isn’t as healthy as they think it is. You need a varied diet in order to live the healthiest life possible-you can’t completely cut out an entire food group (without sufficient replacements) and still expect to be healthy. In addition, this life is very restrictive; are they happy being constantly consumed with thoughts of their health? Sometimes, you need to just let go and enjoy the moment without thinking of the possible consequences. Technology is similar. A life completely devoid of it, in this day and age, could severely hinder your career and ability to connect to others. But, too much of it can have the same effects. Sherry Turkle, a MIT professor and sociologist, argues in her work , The Empathy Diaries, that the balance is leaning way to the side, and technology is causing more negative effects than it is producing. Emmerson Giella and Alicia Burr, who are both writers of the same topic, write about technology’s effects on their lives. They argue both ways, saying that there are both benefits and drawbacks to technology use in their daily lives. I believe there is a point where the perfect balance of technology in one’s life equates to a balanced diet; you have just enough of the “healthy” stuff to balance out the “bad” stuff, and you are therefore able to live a fulfilling and healthy life.
Connection is one of the more debatable topics when it comes to technology. Some argue it is stealing our ability to connect with others, while others argue it actually increases this ability. Sherry Turkle believes that technology is doing the opposite of connecting people. She believes that focusing on a device instead of people around you actually disconnects you from them. Following the introduction of technology into our lives, she argues, “We begin to think of ourselves as a tribe of one, loyal to our own party. We check our messages during a quiet moment when the pull of the online world simply feels irresistible. Even children text each other rather than talk face to face with friends…” Phones and other technology are being introduced at younger ages these days, and the effects are similar if not worse than adults. They prefer spending time on them playing games or watching videos rather than hanging out with real people. However, it can allow connection in some cases. If you live far away from friends or family, like most college students do, technology can be very beneficial. Gaia talks about her experience with technology since moving to college, and how it has allowed her to stay connected to those she cares about: “Throughout my time at college, I’ve used phone calls to connect with friends and family. I feel as though I’ve been able to get closer to one of my friends in a way. We never had time to hang out when we were at school together, but weirdly enough, the space between us has made it seem like that never mattered. We can still talk to each other, and our phone calls and texts allow us to connect. I’ve been friends with her for so long, I’m extremely grateful to be able to connect with her in this way.” In this day and age, people are able to connect faster and more efficiently than ever to those who live far away from them, thanks to phones and other technology. But, this technology can also be overused and sometimes abused. I have absolutely felt the pull of my phone when I’m bored or was having a conversation with someone. I wait for them to respond, then immediately open that app back up to talk to them again. This can cause a sort of endless cycle; you’re bored without the conversation, you get excited when they text back, you spend a few seconds responding, and then it repeats, causing your emotions to fluctuate and maybe even attach those positive feelings to the device. This is why a balance is needed: technology isn’t inherently bad and does actually produce some good effects, like being able to stay connected with loved ones when separated. But, it’s easy to get addicted to the rush those responses give you. So, I would recommend trying to limit the conversation to calling or facetime, but if you do text, try to keep it condensed and not spread out over the whole day, because that can cause that dangerous anticipation. And, thought It’s a bit of a controversial topic with people my age, I would also recommend replying as soon as possible, no matter who the person is-you should get your thoughts out there as fast as possible and then return to what you were doing before, instead of waiting hours to respond.
…While phones are great for staying connected to those you love, they also come with a lot of extra things that aren’t really needed and are really easy to get sucked into. Games, social media, even the internet in general can be really good at grabbing your attention and running away with it. But, then again, these things aren’t inherently dangerous by themselves.
Cassandra Sanger
Professor Jesse Miller
English 110
11/22/24
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 forgetting the positive aspects conversations bring us and are becoming accustomed to surface level talking. 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. The internet is full of misinformation, lies, drama and lots of useless information. Yes, it has its positives to it such as the access to people and it has some reliable sources for information but as far as how it’s affecting humans is negative for the most part. 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 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 and in addition the writer Malayna Hawxwell; who wrote about the positives and negatives of technology. 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, or even work online. 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.
In her essay “The Empathy Diaries,” Sherry Turkle discusses how communication tools, while useful, might limit genuine relationships and empathy. She claims that electronics promote a “controlled manner” of communicating that lacks spontaneity and richness. Turkle claims that this regulated atmosphere favors brief, filtered discussions over open, spontaneous ones, restricting actual connection.Nick Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” provides a similar viewpoint. Technology, according to Carr, is changing our cognitive and communicative techniques, reducing our attention spans, and diminishing our ability for critical thinking.Turkle and Carr argue that digital tools remove us from empathy, meaningful presence, and human engagement.
Emerson Giella shares Turkle’s concerns as she contemplates her complicated relationship with digital communication. Giella enjoys connecting with family and friends, but she recognises the drawbacks of being digitally dependent. She agrees with Turkle that “technology distracting us is not real human connection.” Virtual relationships lack depth. Giella’s thoughts support Turkle’s claim that internet communication sacrifices real personal connection. Giella’s experience supports Turkle’s concept of being “alone together,” where people are physically isolated yet continually connected to their electronics, providing superficial connections. Despite the growing demand for human interaction in today’s digital world, many individuals seek comfort in their electronic devices, increasing the feelings of isolation.
Cassie Sanger’s view reinforces Turkle’s concerns about technology’s impact on empathy and social skills. According to Sanger, “Our culture seems to be starting a choice of media over people” suggests that individuals are increasingly favoring online relationships over face-to-face ones. According to Turkle, the communication that takes place through the internet lacks the sensitive and spontaneous aspect of face-to-face interactions, which poses a threat to our ability for empathy. Turkle asserts that “we are sacrificing conversation for connection,” and Sanger’s experience offers credibility to this concept. Turkle thinks we are losing real talks, whereas Sanger sees a shift from in-depth, face-to-face conversations to shallow online relationships. Turkle says this change makes it harder for us to get along with others and understand them.
There is concern among Carr, Turkle, Giella, and Sanger on the impact that technology has on thought processes and social interactions. Giella and Sanger illustrate these theories through their own personal experiences, but Carr and Turkle believe that digital tools have a tremendous impact on how we think and interactions. Carr is concerned that increased use of technology may gradually decrease our focus, making it more difficult to interact with others and ideas that are more complicated. Turkle explains how technology contributes to a culture of controlled and superficial communication, which limits empathy. Giella and Sanger provide examples from the real world that show how technology can both connect and isolate.
In her essay “The Empathy Diaries,” Sherry Turkle discusses how communication tools, while useful, might limit genuine relationships and empathy. She claims that electronics promote a “controlled manner” of communicating that lacks spontaneity and richness. Turkle claims that this regulated atmosphere favors brief, filtered discussions over open, spontaneous ones, restricting actual connection.Nick Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” provides a similar viewpoint. Technology, according to Carr, is changing our cognitive and communicative techniques, reducing our attention spans, and diminishing our ability for critical thinking.Turkle and Carr argue that digital tools remove us from empathy, meaningful presence, and human engagement.
Emerson Giella shares Turkle’s concerns as she contemplates her complicated relationship with digital communication. Giella enjoys connecting with family and friends, but she recognises the drawbacks of being digitally dependent. She agrees with Turkle that “technology distracting us is not real human connection.” Virtual relationships lack depth. Giella’s thoughts support Turkle’s claim that internet communication sacrifices real personal connection. Giella’s experience supports Turkle’s concept of being “alone together,” where people are physically isolated yet continually connected to their electronics, providing superficial connections. Despite the growing demand for human interaction in today’s digital world, many individuals seek comfort in their electronic devices, increasing the feelings of isolation.
Cassie Sanger’s view reinforces Turkle’s concerns about technology’s impact on empathy and social skills. According to Sanger, “Our culture seems to be starting a choice of media over people” suggests that individuals are increasingly favoring online relationships over face-to-face ones. According to Turkle, the communication that takes place through the internet lacks the sensitive and spontaneous aspect of face-to-face interactions, which poses a threat to our ability for empathy. Turkle asserts that “we are sacrificing conversation for connection,” and Sanger’s experience offers credibility to this concept. Turkle thinks we are losing real talks, whereas Sanger sees a shift from in-depth, face-to-face conversations to shallow online relationships. Turkle says this change makes it harder for us to get along with others and understand them.
There is concern among Carr, Turkle, Giella, and Sanger on the impact that technology has on thought processes and social interactions. Giella and Sanger illustrate these theories through their own personal experiences, but Carr and Turkle believe that digital tools have a tremendous impact on how we think and interactions. Carr is concerned that increased use of technology may gradually decrease our focus, making it more difficult to interact with others and ideas that are more complicated. Turkle explains how technology contributes to a culture of controlled and superficial communication, which limits empathy. Giella and Sanger provide examples from the real world that show how technology can both connect and isolate.
Giella uses technology to stay in touch with people she cares about, but the story also shows how digital contact can get in the way of real connection. She says that watching family and friends on TV makes her feel connected to them, but not directly. Turkle felt that technology, while useful, frequently keeps us from having genuine and meaningful relationships that come from talking to someone in person. Giella thinks that technology makes it easier to keep in touch with people, but it also makes it clear that interpersonal contact is still the best way to feel actually connected with someone.
Digital communication’s emotional costs are reinforced by Sanger’s findings. Society increasingly prioritizes convenience over meaningful connection by selecting “media over people,” as she describes. Sanger’s experience validates Turkle’s claim that screen-based interactions reduce empathy. Digital connections are fragmented and theatrical, lacking continuity and vulnerability that build understanding. Sanger’s views support Turkle’s claim that our rising reliance on technology may cause us to value superficial interactions above genuine ones, affecting our empathy.
Carr and Turkle think that these changes are changing how we think and talk to each other. Carr says that constant exposure to technology could make it harder to concentrate, which is essential for thinking as well as emotions. Additionally, Turkle says that most online conversations do not involve ways of developing understanding. Screens mask tone of voice, body language, and other signs that make face-to-face contact better. Both say that this loss impacts the way we talk to each other and form relationships.
The worries of Carr, Turkle, Giella, and Sanger show that technology has two sides. Technology let us talk to each other from anywhere, but it also makes it harder to connect, understand, and have empathy for others. Although technology has numerous benefits, we must balance convenience with cognitive and deep emotions. To truly appreciate technology without losing our basic humanity, as Turkle and Carr suggest, it’s essential to find a balance.
Last but not least, the ideas of Carr, Turkle, Giella, and Sanger bring up an overview of how technology impacts the minds of individuals and society. Giella and Sanger’s personal reflections show how Carr and Turkle’s theories help us understand how technology can change the way we think and connect with each other. As these points of view demonstrate, there must be a balance between the positive and negative aspects of a fully connected electronic world. Our capacity for empathy, focus, and genuine connection is at risk as we increasingly rely on technology. By recognizing these interactions, we can use technology to better understand and improve relationships.
Technology has been advancing for years. Over the years, it has become a controversial issue that everyone has developed their opinions on. Some argue that it’s beneficial to us, some argue it is negatively impacting us, and others think it’s a mix of both good and bad. Nicholas Carr, a reputable author who has written for The New York Times, touches on this topic in his essay, “Is Google Making Us Stupid.” He mentions how technology is taking away our ability to think. Similarly, Alicia Burr and Nolan Sibley, both students at The University of New England, write an essay on their complicated views of the positives and negatives of technology. Technology is very useful to us in many ways and keeps us connected. But on the other hand, it brings a lot of negatives that disconnect us. It even seems to be changing the way we think, such as when we are reading and spelling.
Technology is changing our ability to think because our devices are doing it for us. Carr can see technology changing the way he thinks. He says, “I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy… Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle” (Carr 1). He makes a really good point. With all this stimulation technology provides us, we can’t focus for long anymore. Our thinking is different. That deep thinking that comes with reading is gone. Similarly, Burr believes technology such as artificial intelligence that automatically corrects our spelling is making us worse off. She says, “Another part of technology that I have used quite frequently is spell check… Half the time I don’t even notice that it changes the word. I liked to think that this is helping but now I’m starting to believe it’s making me worse off”(Burr). We’ve become so accustomed to spell check fixing our spelling that not now we don’t even notice it. We don’t really know how to spell and we don’t need to worry about it because spell check fixes it for us. When spell check fixes a word, you don’t actually learn how to spell that word right in the future. Technology makes it so we don’t have to actually think to read or spell. Carr and Burr make very relatable arguments. I never read anything deeply, I always skim through it. I get bored after the first paragraph because I’m so used to the stimulation technology provides. I can’t think enough to read and process a whole article. I also can’t spell. No matter how many times my computer underlines the same word red, I’m still not going to know how to spell it. I don’t need to because the next time I spell it wrong my laptop will just fix it. Technology takes the thinking aspect out of reading and spelling. These are basic skills that we learn to do in Kindergarten and they are becoming harder and harder to do as technology thinks for us.
We also rely on technology to a point where it’s ruining our intelligence. Carr says, “as we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence” (Carr 8). We rely too heavily on technology so our authentic intelligence is turning into artificial intelligence. Similarly, Sibley also believes we are becoming dependent on artificial intelligence. He says, “With the introduction of such advanced artificial intelligence, we are becoming more and more dependent. It seems as though for any problem or question that arises in life, a simple Google search can help you to solve it” (Sibley). We don’t have to critically think anymore when we have a problem or a question. We can just type it into google and we immediately get an answer. It’s become a major problem. I’m worried about how much I have relied on technology throughout the years. Would I be smarter today if I didn’t have technology at my fingertips. I think I might be. If technology didn’t exist and I had a question, I would have to ask someone, read a book, or just figure it out myself. But I don’t have to, so I’m not developing these skills that would make me more intelligent.
All people seem to have different views on technology, some think it is helpful, some think it is ruining our brains and others have mixed feelings about it. For myself, I have mixed feelings about technology but lean more towards the fact that it is ruining our brains and taking over basic human functions. Nicholas Carr in “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, believes that it is affecting our brains in a negative way. Possing the question is technology affecting our ability to concentrate on long pieces that do not interest us. The complicated feeling on technology seems to resonate with writer Emerson Giella, a student at the University of New England. She also believes there are pros and cons to technology. On the other hand, Lilyan Blood, also a student at the University of New England, says she has never liked technology. She believes that it has made her life harder. Although technology has many positives, I believe that the negatives have started to outweigh them, leading us to a need for change.
I believe technology has affected our brains, along with how we think. In Carr’s words, The Net is “chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles.” While I believe our brains have now been wired to enjoy and take in quick snippets of information, Blood makes the point that “there are so many events and stuff on the web but half the time you don’t even know what is true vs false.” Although our brains like taking in information quickly, the information we get is not always exactly accurate. We want the quick facts and to move on. Which is how the internet now operates, especially social media, but most people do not stop to think if it is true or not.
Humans’ urn for constant connection, the immediate stimulation to our brains. That may be scrolling through social media, talking to a friend, or just playing a game. While that may be true, it also allows us to escape from what is happening in front of us. Disconnecting us from the world and the people around us. If we are bored, technology surely has something to keep us occupied. Gillea makes the point that “heavily relying on technology to feel better might just be what is making it worse.” Technology lets us escape from boredom or anxiety without letting us find ways to properly cope with it. We throw some earbuds in and watch a show or play music while walking to class to keep the anxiety at bay. But that has made us reliant on it, because what happens if we don’t have that quick escape. We feel safe knowing that we can get in touch with family or friends if needed. But we aren’t able to just relax and enjoy life because for most people not having their phones on them can lead to stress and fear. We want connection but also want to be disconnected at the same time. Connected to the false reality that social media gives us, or a friend a call away, but don’t want to have that conversation in person or live your life without taking the perfect picture first. Blood points out that “it’s almost like people are trying to make a connection with feds on instagram or whatever they’re watching on their phones” instead of connecting with what is around you.
In contrast to that, technology has kept me connected to my family and friends. Agreeing with Giella that “technology can be extremely valuable when considering connecting with loved ones who are far away. It is still possible to have meaningful conversations with them this way. My phone allows me to connect with my loved ones, read, and write, all at my fingertips.” I’ve been able to keep many relationships with technology. Throughout covid all we had was technology to connect to each other, it kept the conversation and connection going. It has allowed for easier long-distance relationships. Although they could always be a possibility, being able to Facetime and seeing someone’s face helps to feel those connections, along with reading the person’s body language. Texting can be very difficult when it comes to reading tone, but as technology has evolved, we have emojis, snapchat, which consists of sending pictures with words back and forth, and of course all sorts of video chat apps. “The Internet, an immeasurably powerful computing system, is subsuming most of our other intellectual technologies. It’s being our map and our clock, our printing press and our typewriter, our calculator and our telephone, and our radio and TV.” Technology, along with the world is evolving, and this may be something we have to adjust to. Adjusting to the fact that technology isn’t going away, but that some things need to be changed, and some boundaries need to be set.
Ultimately, I and these other three authors and I’m sure many more can agree that while technology can help us stay connected to those long-distance friends and family, it also comes with its own struggles and challenges. Technology is here to stay, and we can’t change that, but we can change how we use it. Instead of letting it consume us we need to learn how to use it properly, sometimes just taking a step away from it. We can learn other ways to cope without it, even connecting with people without it. Maybe writing a letter or having a tech free day where you and your friends, family, or partner just go enjoy the outdoors. But what it all comes down to is will you make the change we and the generations after so desperately need?
A common theme I see among these technological narratives is the idea of technology in the past. You would think that we are so focused on the future of technology and where it will take us, but the narratives say otherwise. It seems as though fellow writers are still stuck in the past and how they were affected back then. These ideas differ from those of Carr and Turkle. These two authors grew up in a different generation. Things like cell phones and computers were less prevalent in older generations. It is a matter of perspective. They see technology as more of a plague towards younger generations and less towards older ones. Differently, the writers of the technological narratives view the problem within their own generation and within themselves. Carr and Turkle view the issue of technology and distraction as a storm that they had narrowly missed.
Technology is a hindrance to the very meaning of society. It causes a lack of connection with each other and in ourselves. Not only do we show signs through external actions or lack thereof, but we show signs through our intellect, projecting through speech and writing. As Nolan Sibley argues, “There is no escape from the suffocating graph technology holds on our lives. It seems as though we are in an ever-tightening straight jacket. The Internet, in all of its accessibility, has negatively impacted the way we think, our ability to learn, and how we entertain ourselves and the conversations that we have with one another” (Sibley). Sibley explains that technology has everybody in a grasp, whether they know it or not. It interferes with our mental abilities. It is a downward spiral of apathy and disconnect. Nicholas Carr has a similar argument over technology and how it affects us. He argues that the online web is creating “pancake people”. This means that societal connections are spread far and wider than ever, but its strength is diminishing with upcoming technology.
Not only are there online resources to feed us information, but there are technologies that are willing to do the work for us. Not only does this inhibit our ability to learn, but our ability to provide reasoning and ultimately, think. This is dangerous for the world and the current connections we have with one another. Cassandra Charron has a similar opinion on this matter. She argues, “Just the thought of there being a program that can do it all for you has made people less inclined to do their own thinking themselves” (Charron). This is in light of artificial intelligence making its way into the hands of students. It’s vital that we practice beneficial habits in and out of school at a young age. It is much more difficult to switch your habits when you are older than when you are younger. To stick with the theme of being able to think freely, Nicholas Carr also believes that modern technology is weakening simple reading and thinking skills. He argues, “Our ability to to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged” (Carr 3).
Moreover, the perception of technology and its impact on us has a sharp divide between generations. Older generations, who have been witnessing the advances of digital technology often have skepticism of its benefits. They believe it will alter our current ways of life. This is understandable to those who have already lived through multiple generations of change. In contrast, younger generations who have grown up with this advanced technology do not see its downsides as clearly as they should. This highlights the importance of perspective and education. It is necessary to inform younger generations of the struggles they may have to endure in the following years with technology. By understanding both the positive aspects and the downfalls of technology, we can better deal with the digital world and mitigate its effects on our thinking and connections with each other.
Nothing in Life is Certain Except Taxes, Technology, and Death
As a society we spend many hours of our day on our screens. We use our devices for everything from productivity tools for work and school, navigation from place to place, entertainment, socialmedia, communicatijg with one another, and often as an escape from the real world. We have come to find companionship and shelter in our devices and it has deeply impacted our ability to communicate with one another effectively and meaningfully. We use these tools that were initially brought to help us communicate with one another and drive connections more often as an excuse to be anti social. We allow ourselves to append hours scrolling through TikTok or playing games than being present with our loved ones. Our devices have become our most important tool and sadly for many of us it seems our very best friends.
Sherry Turkle, a Doctor of Social Studies of Science and Technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, and founder and current director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, argues that we have begun to lose the true human values that connect us due to our dependency on technology. Turkle argues “… computers offer the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship… real people demand responses to how they are feeling. And not just any response (Turkle 346).” We have truly come to find comfort and friendship in our devices, they offer us safety, security, and a place to turn to after a bad day. It is these false connections that may really come to harm us. We are losing the ability tro connect with eachother on a deeper level because we have our devices to turn to when the going gets tough.
The generation of rising adults and the youngest behind it have grown up in a world of technology, we have always been able to find comfort and dependency on our devices. In a world where things are so uncertain it seems as though we can truly depend upon our devices to be there for us. Emerson Giella A student at the University of New England, well researched on the effects of technology on development and behavior states “…the use of my phone or computer sometimes correlates with the urge to disconnect and be in my own little world, away from the one in my brain. When I feel like I need a break from my life because I’m overwhelmed…” This is a common practice for many. As a product of our generation we find comfort and relaxation in our devices, we allow ourselves to escape from reality by tuning in to a favorite show or song so that we can tune out of the stresses of everyday life. We have fostered a society that is very hard to live in and people feel as though they need an escape and when you have access to so much entertainment and information at your fingertips what better to turn to than your phone?
Technology has become an addiction, an affliction that we all face on a day-to-day basis whether we realize it or not. Technology has spread so wide that it is practically impossible to be free from its grasp. Alicia Burr a student at the university of New England has published several papers on the effect that technology has had on our ability to think deeply and how it alters our behavior explains that “…it has also come with an addiction, Instead of enjoying a conversation in front of you, we get caught up in our phones. It’s a constant battle between the phone and human interaction. Social media allows you to just show the parts you want other people to see.” Along with the introductions of such technology came an entirely new way to interact and get to know each other; social media. Social media has allowed us to connect with many people we otherwise may not have been able to but it does not foster genuine connection. The interactions we have through these platforms are superficial and surface levels, we are enabled to hide behind our screens and only display the kind of lifestyle that we want to portray.
Technology is a distraction, and we create those distractions. That is something to think about. We now live in a world with technology where it can do many things from writing something for you to giving you an answer to a question you asked within seconds. People in my generation often talk about how we have grown with technology, and yes that is true, but also not true. It depends what way you look at that statement. For some it means we have lived our whole lives with technology. Since we were little playing with a small phone, ipad, etc. We have always been around and have been connected to the internet. The other way you can interpret that statement is by thinking we have grown and became smarter with technology as it also began to grow. That is true on some levels, we have grown because of what technology can do for us. We also have used it in good ways which causes us to back track. Now the things we used to do with technology when we were little can be seen as a distraction now if we were to do the same things. It is very easy to become distracted when working. That is just the life we live in, with all the small things on the internet you can do on the internet it is very easy to sidetrack and do something else. It is as if there is a chain connecting us to something different from what you are currently doing trying to pull you away everytime you hear a “buzz” sound, for example you get a notification on your phone. Trying to overcome all of the distractions that come with being in a world where technology is everything is the hard part. It is almost as if we are constantly trapped. Nicholas Carr in “Is Google Making Us Stupid” talks about his opinion on how technology and Google most specifically has affected us as humans and is creating many distractions. Simalary to Anderson’s thoughts, Emily Scheff and Lilyan Blood, both freshman at The University of New England have very similar thoughts to those of Nicholas Carr. Distraction is a factor of us using technology and affecting us from reading, writing and thinking.
When doing something such as school work you can easily get distracted by something on the internet. By getting distracted it is taking your attention away from what you were doing, therefore limiting how much you can actually be learning and not to your full potential. Nicholas Carr shares his thoughts by saying “The process of adapting to new intellectual technologies is reflected in the changing metaphors we use to explain ourselves to ourselves. When the mechanical clock arrived, people began thinking of their brains as operating “like clockwork.” ”(Carr 4). Carr explains how our brains can become almost part of technology and not even realize it, taking us away from our actual learning. Similarly to Carr, Scheff talks about the certain parts of technology that has been affecting us as humans, “People often will doom scroll and get so sucked into it that they haven’t realized how long they have been going for. A tendency that I recognize that I have is I will go down rabbit holes, not literal ones outdoors but the ones on the internet. Whether it is something I am learning more about or something that I am new to I will continue scrolling through videos to learn more about the topic.” (Scheff). She states that she even tends to fall down the idea of backing away from your work you are doing and go onto social media and scroll through and get distracted for hours. Leading you almost feels like that is what you should be doing, back to Carr’s point of feeling like our brains are “clockwork” when it comes to being distracted. Along with both of Carr’s and Scheff’s ideas, Blood says “I feel like technology has a very big impact on us with it being a distraction. Also when you are just going about your day if you feel a buzz or something come from your phone most people will check it right then and there to see who texted them. This is very much a distraction” (Blood). What she says brings me back to my point earlier of having a phone near you and hearing that “buzz” sound can be a very distracting thing. The many things like what Blood and Scheff talk about having technology near you ties along with people feeling like the distractions are causing them to have the feeling of not fully learning to their full potential.
Digital technology is both the bane of our existence and our greatest savior. The question we are facing today is how can we adapt to be able to navigate this double-edged sword as it is so far integrated into our daily lives. Most of us have a very love-hate relationship with it as we struggle to find balance within our everyday lives. Digital technology can be very helpful and the internet has a wide variety of useful resources, but both can be damaging to our physical and mental well-being, and even to our education and ability to think for ourselves. Not only that, but the digital world is in a constant state of change and it is up to humanity to figure out how to balance it in our lives so that we are reaching our highest potential with minimal downsides. Humanity has always adapted to new technologies and their ever-changing ways, whether that was art, music, reading, writing, vehicles, etc. Now we just have to do the same with digital technology, and it may take time and changes in lifestyle, but it is possible. This idea that the digital world is in a state of constant evolution is known by many, including writers Sam Anderson, Cassie Sanger, and Emily Scheff. These authors bring about valid arguments on the benefits and drawbacks of digital technology, many of which overlap with one another. Each of these authors addresses the fact that technology is always changing and that we need it to function as a modern society, but that it could become a problem if we don’t adapt. The arguments each author makes are not specifically shared across all three authors, but they all go to make the same point. We need balance and to achieve it we need to adapt to the ever-changing state of digital technology through moderation and mindfulness.
We would not be who we are today or function in any way the same without the technological advances we have made as a species, yet we still haven’t figured out how to use many of them effectively and without damaging ourselves. We have adapted to the ever-changing of art, literature, music, architecture, and more, yet we are still lost in the endless stream of information the digital world provides us with. Cassie Sanger, a first-year student at the University of New England, says that digital technology is “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” (Sanger). And she is right. Overall, as a species, we are struggling to find balance in our lives, particularly with technology, and it is having a variety of negative effects. To that point, however, Sanger is not oblivious to the benefits digital technology has reaped, and has noted that modern society would not be anything close to what it is today without the advancements we have made as a society, many of which through digital technology. Emily Scheff, also a first-year student at the University of New England, argues a similar point. She discusses the benefits of technology in the academic world, and how the world of education would not be anything close to what it is today without those modern tools. Scheff even goes a step further and sparks a conversation about accommodations that people may need in order to receive the same education as someone who doesn’t need any extra support, many of which can only be provided through the use of digital devices. Scheff says,
“[s]imilar to technology, education and the methods that are used are constantly evolving. Devices can also be extremely useful supports for those who need them. Whether it is a closed captioning device, text-to-speech app, audiobook, audio recorder, smartpen, health monitor, remote control device or a myriad of other devices they all can significantly benefit a persons success” (Scheff).
This is a perspective commonly not considered in the digital technology debate, yet it holds such truth. People are able to succeed in the academic world despite any challenges they may have because of the accommodations that technology provides, yet this is not to say that there are no downfalls as well. With digital devices being used in the academic setting, there is more room for breaches of academic integrity, such as cheating or the use of AI. There is also more room for distraction, which Scheff also mentions. There are infinite possibilities within the digital world, and when at your fingertips, it is very easy to get sucked in and lost within it. However, if one were to learn to moderate and be mindful of the way they use digital technology, this distraction might not be the crisis situation some make it out to be.
11 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 24”
Do you believe technology is a tool or a distraction? Sherry Turkle, a doctorate in sociology and personality psychology from Harvard, believes it’s a distraction and it’s not helping us grow as individuals ,and become different from one another. Turkle shares her experience with being in a classroom with younger children and how they have gotten affected by technology. Emerson Giella ,a freshman at the University of New England shares her opinions about if it’s a tool or a distraction. Giella believes that it could be used as a tool sometimes but also as a distraction it depends on how you use it. Alicia Burr Also a freshman at the University of New England shared her thoughts on what technology has done to her and how technology has impacted on her life. She explains that we are definitely addicted to it but it has some pros to it so it could be a resource but a distraction too. Technology is an addictive distraction if we don’t use it properly.
Turkle shares a lot about how we don’t have patience now due to technology and when we get “bored” we don’t let ourselves think outside the box, we just go straight to our phones. Which I believe is very true because we have it right at our fingertips so we don’t need to think of anything else to do. Burr Also explained how we pay for quicker services because we don’t have that patience as a society anymore. “ Now we pay for “instant” tv. You watch only what you want, with no ads. I believe this is a great tool ,but is it making us watch tv more because it’s better. Is it now a distraction because we are watching tv and not thinking outside the box? Burr talked about how this is great and all but “ the technology of phones, disconnects and losing basic human skills”.(Burr) One of the basic skills she referred to was spell check and how she has gotten lazy when she was writing and the computer will just fix it for her and she won’t even notice sometimes. Also I have noticed a lot of times at restaurants if there is a tv , and there is a game going on there is less conversations at the table , and everyone is distracted by what’s on the tv. Us becoming lazy is just a sign of how we are letting technology do all the work for us and we just sit back and watch.
Sometimes we do use technology properly and it has a lot of good outcomes. Burr talks about the good ways her family has used technology and how it has brought joy to her. “ My mom videotaped everything and saved all the cds. Now that both grandparents have passed I am very grateful to be able to go back and watch not only baby me, but also seeing and hearing my grandparents voices”(Burr). Technology is not all bad and this is a great explanation of how good it can be if we dont let it distract us from doing the wrong things. Just like Burr if technology wasn’t there I wouldn’t have known what my grandpa looked like even though I met him but I was very little so I don’t remember. It’s not only nice to see photos when someone passed away but it’s nice to go back and see all the fun memories you had even with people that are still here. Giella also believes that technology can be a good thing if used well. “ We can connect in numerous ways. Technology is a sufficient way to connect with loved ones and even the world.”( Giella). Similar to what Giella was saying if we didn’t have technology we wouldn’t be able to talk to our family and friends as much as we do and that helps our mental health a lot. Also it has helped our safety alot and it’s easier to get out important information about a suspect or even a hurricane. Another big one is google maps or any direction assistant without those we would be very lost and we wouldn’t be able to travel far and explore lots of things and get to places in a timely manner. .There are many pros to technology and we have used them to our advantage but sometimes the other apps or cool things in technology distract us from knowing we are addicted.
There are many pros and cons to technology especially when it comes to younger children and how they get affected by it. Turkle shares her experiences with how technology affects children in the classroom. “ It’s a struggle to get children to talk to each other in class.”( turkle). Turkle is saying how when there are tablets or computers on site it’s hard for them to put up their heads to have a conversation. because most parents use technology as a reward system so when they have their ipad in their hands they want to make sure they focus and pay attention because they only have it for a little bit. This is where I feel like parenting has gone down because technology should not be a reward because it’s not benefiting them at all and they know they want to be on it forever. A reward should be a toy so they can work on their fine motor skills.
Health nuts are often seen suggesting “non-toxic foods” on Instagram or promoting the next new diet that will “make you feel and look better than ever” in a magazine you see in the grocery store. They try to lead lives cleansed of the toxins they think are in foods or their bodies. But often, it isn’t as healthy as they think it is. You need a varied diet in order to live the healthiest life possible-you can’t completely cut out an entire food group (without sufficient replacements) and still expect to be healthy. In addition, this life is very restrictive; are they happy being constantly consumed with thoughts of their health? Sometimes, you need to just let go and enjoy the moment without thinking of the possible consequences. Technology is similar. A life completely devoid of it, in this day and age, could severely hinder your career and ability to connect to others. But, too much of it can have the same effects. Sherry Turkle, a MIT professor and sociologist, argues in her work , The Empathy Diaries, that the balance is leaning way to the side, and technology is causing more negative effects than it is producing. Emmerson Giella and Alicia Burr, who are both writers of the same topic, write about technology’s effects on their lives. They argue both ways, saying that there are both benefits and drawbacks to technology use in their daily lives. I believe there is a point where the perfect balance of technology in one’s life equates to a balanced diet; you have just enough of the “healthy” stuff to balance out the “bad” stuff, and you are therefore able to live a fulfilling and healthy life.
Connection is one of the more debatable topics when it comes to technology. Some argue it is stealing our ability to connect with others, while others argue it actually increases this ability. Sherry Turkle believes that technology is doing the opposite of connecting people. She believes that focusing on a device instead of people around you actually disconnects you from them. Following the introduction of technology into our lives, she argues, “We begin to think of ourselves as a tribe of one, loyal to our own party. We check our messages during a quiet moment when the pull of the online world simply feels irresistible. Even children text each other rather than talk face to face with friends…” Phones and other technology are being introduced at younger ages these days, and the effects are similar if not worse than adults. They prefer spending time on them playing games or watching videos rather than hanging out with real people. However, it can allow connection in some cases. If you live far away from friends or family, like most college students do, technology can be very beneficial. Gaia talks about her experience with technology since moving to college, and how it has allowed her to stay connected to those she cares about: “Throughout my time at college, I’ve used phone calls to connect with friends and family. I feel as though I’ve been able to get closer to one of my friends in a way. We never had time to hang out when we were at school together, but weirdly enough, the space between us has made it seem like that never mattered. We can still talk to each other, and our phone calls and texts allow us to connect. I’ve been friends with her for so long, I’m extremely grateful to be able to connect with her in this way.” In this day and age, people are able to connect faster and more efficiently than ever to those who live far away from them, thanks to phones and other technology. But, this technology can also be overused and sometimes abused. I have absolutely felt the pull of my phone when I’m bored or was having a conversation with someone. I wait for them to respond, then immediately open that app back up to talk to them again. This can cause a sort of endless cycle; you’re bored without the conversation, you get excited when they text back, you spend a few seconds responding, and then it repeats, causing your emotions to fluctuate and maybe even attach those positive feelings to the device. This is why a balance is needed: technology isn’t inherently bad and does actually produce some good effects, like being able to stay connected with loved ones when separated. But, it’s easy to get addicted to the rush those responses give you. So, I would recommend trying to limit the conversation to calling or facetime, but if you do text, try to keep it condensed and not spread out over the whole day, because that can cause that dangerous anticipation. And, thought It’s a bit of a controversial topic with people my age, I would also recommend replying as soon as possible, no matter who the person is-you should get your thoughts out there as fast as possible and then return to what you were doing before, instead of waiting hours to respond.
…While phones are great for staying connected to those you love, they also come with a lot of extra things that aren’t really needed and are really easy to get sucked into. Games, social media, even the internet in general can be really good at grabbing your attention and running away with it. But, then again, these things aren’t inherently dangerous by themselves.
Cassandra Sanger
Professor Jesse Miller
English 110
11/22/24
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 forgetting the positive aspects conversations bring us and are becoming accustomed to surface level talking. 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. The internet is full of misinformation, lies, drama and lots of useless information. Yes, it has its positives to it such as the access to people and it has some reliable sources for information but as far as how it’s affecting humans is negative for the most part. 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 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 and in addition the writer Malayna Hawxwell; who wrote about the positives and negatives of technology. 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, or even work online. 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.
In her essay “The Empathy Diaries,” Sherry Turkle discusses how communication tools, while useful, might limit genuine relationships and empathy. She claims that electronics promote a “controlled manner” of communicating that lacks spontaneity and richness. Turkle claims that this regulated atmosphere favors brief, filtered discussions over open, spontaneous ones, restricting actual connection.Nick Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” provides a similar viewpoint. Technology, according to Carr, is changing our cognitive and communicative techniques, reducing our attention spans, and diminishing our ability for critical thinking.Turkle and Carr argue that digital tools remove us from empathy, meaningful presence, and human engagement.
Emerson Giella shares Turkle’s concerns as she contemplates her complicated relationship with digital communication. Giella enjoys connecting with family and friends, but she recognises the drawbacks of being digitally dependent. She agrees with Turkle that “technology distracting us is not real human connection.” Virtual relationships lack depth. Giella’s thoughts support Turkle’s claim that internet communication sacrifices real personal connection. Giella’s experience supports Turkle’s concept of being “alone together,” where people are physically isolated yet continually connected to their electronics, providing superficial connections. Despite the growing demand for human interaction in today’s digital world, many individuals seek comfort in their electronic devices, increasing the feelings of isolation.
Cassie Sanger’s view reinforces Turkle’s concerns about technology’s impact on empathy and social skills. According to Sanger, “Our culture seems to be starting a choice of media over people” suggests that individuals are increasingly favoring online relationships over face-to-face ones. According to Turkle, the communication that takes place through the internet lacks the sensitive and spontaneous aspect of face-to-face interactions, which poses a threat to our ability for empathy. Turkle asserts that “we are sacrificing conversation for connection,” and Sanger’s experience offers credibility to this concept. Turkle thinks we are losing real talks, whereas Sanger sees a shift from in-depth, face-to-face conversations to shallow online relationships. Turkle says this change makes it harder for us to get along with others and understand them.
There is concern among Carr, Turkle, Giella, and Sanger on the impact that technology has on thought processes and social interactions. Giella and Sanger illustrate these theories through their own personal experiences, but Carr and Turkle believe that digital tools have a tremendous impact on how we think and interactions. Carr is concerned that increased use of technology may gradually decrease our focus, making it more difficult to interact with others and ideas that are more complicated. Turkle explains how technology contributes to a culture of controlled and superficial communication, which limits empathy. Giella and Sanger provide examples from the real world that show how technology can both connect and isolate.
In her essay “The Empathy Diaries,” Sherry Turkle discusses how communication tools, while useful, might limit genuine relationships and empathy. She claims that electronics promote a “controlled manner” of communicating that lacks spontaneity and richness. Turkle claims that this regulated atmosphere favors brief, filtered discussions over open, spontaneous ones, restricting actual connection.Nick Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” provides a similar viewpoint. Technology, according to Carr, is changing our cognitive and communicative techniques, reducing our attention spans, and diminishing our ability for critical thinking.Turkle and Carr argue that digital tools remove us from empathy, meaningful presence, and human engagement.
Emerson Giella shares Turkle’s concerns as she contemplates her complicated relationship with digital communication. Giella enjoys connecting with family and friends, but she recognises the drawbacks of being digitally dependent. She agrees with Turkle that “technology distracting us is not real human connection.” Virtual relationships lack depth. Giella’s thoughts support Turkle’s claim that internet communication sacrifices real personal connection. Giella’s experience supports Turkle’s concept of being “alone together,” where people are physically isolated yet continually connected to their electronics, providing superficial connections. Despite the growing demand for human interaction in today’s digital world, many individuals seek comfort in their electronic devices, increasing the feelings of isolation.
Cassie Sanger’s view reinforces Turkle’s concerns about technology’s impact on empathy and social skills. According to Sanger, “Our culture seems to be starting a choice of media over people” suggests that individuals are increasingly favoring online relationships over face-to-face ones. According to Turkle, the communication that takes place through the internet lacks the sensitive and spontaneous aspect of face-to-face interactions, which poses a threat to our ability for empathy. Turkle asserts that “we are sacrificing conversation for connection,” and Sanger’s experience offers credibility to this concept. Turkle thinks we are losing real talks, whereas Sanger sees a shift from in-depth, face-to-face conversations to shallow online relationships. Turkle says this change makes it harder for us to get along with others and understand them.
There is concern among Carr, Turkle, Giella, and Sanger on the impact that technology has on thought processes and social interactions. Giella and Sanger illustrate these theories through their own personal experiences, but Carr and Turkle believe that digital tools have a tremendous impact on how we think and interactions. Carr is concerned that increased use of technology may gradually decrease our focus, making it more difficult to interact with others and ideas that are more complicated. Turkle explains how technology contributes to a culture of controlled and superficial communication, which limits empathy. Giella and Sanger provide examples from the real world that show how technology can both connect and isolate.
Giella uses technology to stay in touch with people she cares about, but the story also shows how digital contact can get in the way of real connection. She says that watching family and friends on TV makes her feel connected to them, but not directly. Turkle felt that technology, while useful, frequently keeps us from having genuine and meaningful relationships that come from talking to someone in person. Giella thinks that technology makes it easier to keep in touch with people, but it also makes it clear that interpersonal contact is still the best way to feel actually connected with someone.
Digital communication’s emotional costs are reinforced by Sanger’s findings. Society increasingly prioritizes convenience over meaningful connection by selecting “media over people,” as she describes. Sanger’s experience validates Turkle’s claim that screen-based interactions reduce empathy. Digital connections are fragmented and theatrical, lacking continuity and vulnerability that build understanding. Sanger’s views support Turkle’s claim that our rising reliance on technology may cause us to value superficial interactions above genuine ones, affecting our empathy.
Carr and Turkle think that these changes are changing how we think and talk to each other. Carr says that constant exposure to technology could make it harder to concentrate, which is essential for thinking as well as emotions. Additionally, Turkle says that most online conversations do not involve ways of developing understanding. Screens mask tone of voice, body language, and other signs that make face-to-face contact better. Both say that this loss impacts the way we talk to each other and form relationships.
The worries of Carr, Turkle, Giella, and Sanger show that technology has two sides. Technology let us talk to each other from anywhere, but it also makes it harder to connect, understand, and have empathy for others. Although technology has numerous benefits, we must balance convenience with cognitive and deep emotions. To truly appreciate technology without losing our basic humanity, as Turkle and Carr suggest, it’s essential to find a balance.
Last but not least, the ideas of Carr, Turkle, Giella, and Sanger bring up an overview of how technology impacts the minds of individuals and society. Giella and Sanger’s personal reflections show how Carr and Turkle’s theories help us understand how technology can change the way we think and connect with each other. As these points of view demonstrate, there must be a balance between the positive and negative aspects of a fully connected electronic world. Our capacity for empathy, focus, and genuine connection is at risk as we increasingly rely on technology. By recognizing these interactions, we can use technology to better understand and improve relationships.
Technology has been advancing for years. Over the years, it has become a controversial issue that everyone has developed their opinions on. Some argue that it’s beneficial to us, some argue it is negatively impacting us, and others think it’s a mix of both good and bad. Nicholas Carr, a reputable author who has written for The New York Times, touches on this topic in his essay, “Is Google Making Us Stupid.” He mentions how technology is taking away our ability to think. Similarly, Alicia Burr and Nolan Sibley, both students at The University of New England, write an essay on their complicated views of the positives and negatives of technology. Technology is very useful to us in many ways and keeps us connected. But on the other hand, it brings a lot of negatives that disconnect us. It even seems to be changing the way we think, such as when we are reading and spelling.
Technology is changing our ability to think because our devices are doing it for us. Carr can see technology changing the way he thinks. He says, “I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy… Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle” (Carr 1). He makes a really good point. With all this stimulation technology provides us, we can’t focus for long anymore. Our thinking is different. That deep thinking that comes with reading is gone. Similarly, Burr believes technology such as artificial intelligence that automatically corrects our spelling is making us worse off. She says, “Another part of technology that I have used quite frequently is spell check… Half the time I don’t even notice that it changes the word. I liked to think that this is helping but now I’m starting to believe it’s making me worse off”(Burr). We’ve become so accustomed to spell check fixing our spelling that not now we don’t even notice it. We don’t really know how to spell and we don’t need to worry about it because spell check fixes it for us. When spell check fixes a word, you don’t actually learn how to spell that word right in the future. Technology makes it so we don’t have to actually think to read or spell. Carr and Burr make very relatable arguments. I never read anything deeply, I always skim through it. I get bored after the first paragraph because I’m so used to the stimulation technology provides. I can’t think enough to read and process a whole article. I also can’t spell. No matter how many times my computer underlines the same word red, I’m still not going to know how to spell it. I don’t need to because the next time I spell it wrong my laptop will just fix it. Technology takes the thinking aspect out of reading and spelling. These are basic skills that we learn to do in Kindergarten and they are becoming harder and harder to do as technology thinks for us.
We also rely on technology to a point where it’s ruining our intelligence. Carr says, “as we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence” (Carr 8). We rely too heavily on technology so our authentic intelligence is turning into artificial intelligence. Similarly, Sibley also believes we are becoming dependent on artificial intelligence. He says, “With the introduction of such advanced artificial intelligence, we are becoming more and more dependent. It seems as though for any problem or question that arises in life, a simple Google search can help you to solve it” (Sibley). We don’t have to critically think anymore when we have a problem or a question. We can just type it into google and we immediately get an answer. It’s become a major problem. I’m worried about how much I have relied on technology throughout the years. Would I be smarter today if I didn’t have technology at my fingertips. I think I might be. If technology didn’t exist and I had a question, I would have to ask someone, read a book, or just figure it out myself. But I don’t have to, so I’m not developing these skills that would make me more intelligent.
All people seem to have different views on technology, some think it is helpful, some think it is ruining our brains and others have mixed feelings about it. For myself, I have mixed feelings about technology but lean more towards the fact that it is ruining our brains and taking over basic human functions. Nicholas Carr in “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, believes that it is affecting our brains in a negative way. Possing the question is technology affecting our ability to concentrate on long pieces that do not interest us. The complicated feeling on technology seems to resonate with writer Emerson Giella, a student at the University of New England. She also believes there are pros and cons to technology. On the other hand, Lilyan Blood, also a student at the University of New England, says she has never liked technology. She believes that it has made her life harder. Although technology has many positives, I believe that the negatives have started to outweigh them, leading us to a need for change.
I believe technology has affected our brains, along with how we think. In Carr’s words, The Net is “chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles.” While I believe our brains have now been wired to enjoy and take in quick snippets of information, Blood makes the point that “there are so many events and stuff on the web but half the time you don’t even know what is true vs false.” Although our brains like taking in information quickly, the information we get is not always exactly accurate. We want the quick facts and to move on. Which is how the internet now operates, especially social media, but most people do not stop to think if it is true or not.
Humans’ urn for constant connection, the immediate stimulation to our brains. That may be scrolling through social media, talking to a friend, or just playing a game. While that may be true, it also allows us to escape from what is happening in front of us. Disconnecting us from the world and the people around us. If we are bored, technology surely has something to keep us occupied. Gillea makes the point that “heavily relying on technology to feel better might just be what is making it worse.” Technology lets us escape from boredom or anxiety without letting us find ways to properly cope with it. We throw some earbuds in and watch a show or play music while walking to class to keep the anxiety at bay. But that has made us reliant on it, because what happens if we don’t have that quick escape. We feel safe knowing that we can get in touch with family or friends if needed. But we aren’t able to just relax and enjoy life because for most people not having their phones on them can lead to stress and fear. We want connection but also want to be disconnected at the same time. Connected to the false reality that social media gives us, or a friend a call away, but don’t want to have that conversation in person or live your life without taking the perfect picture first. Blood points out that “it’s almost like people are trying to make a connection with feds on instagram or whatever they’re watching on their phones” instead of connecting with what is around you.
In contrast to that, technology has kept me connected to my family and friends. Agreeing with Giella that “technology can be extremely valuable when considering connecting with loved ones who are far away. It is still possible to have meaningful conversations with them this way. My phone allows me to connect with my loved ones, read, and write, all at my fingertips.” I’ve been able to keep many relationships with technology. Throughout covid all we had was technology to connect to each other, it kept the conversation and connection going. It has allowed for easier long-distance relationships. Although they could always be a possibility, being able to Facetime and seeing someone’s face helps to feel those connections, along with reading the person’s body language. Texting can be very difficult when it comes to reading tone, but as technology has evolved, we have emojis, snapchat, which consists of sending pictures with words back and forth, and of course all sorts of video chat apps. “The Internet, an immeasurably powerful computing system, is subsuming most of our other intellectual technologies. It’s being our map and our clock, our printing press and our typewriter, our calculator and our telephone, and our radio and TV.” Technology, along with the world is evolving, and this may be something we have to adjust to. Adjusting to the fact that technology isn’t going away, but that some things need to be changed, and some boundaries need to be set.
Ultimately, I and these other three authors and I’m sure many more can agree that while technology can help us stay connected to those long-distance friends and family, it also comes with its own struggles and challenges. Technology is here to stay, and we can’t change that, but we can change how we use it. Instead of letting it consume us we need to learn how to use it properly, sometimes just taking a step away from it. We can learn other ways to cope without it, even connecting with people without it. Maybe writing a letter or having a tech free day where you and your friends, family, or partner just go enjoy the outdoors. But what it all comes down to is will you make the change we and the generations after so desperately need?
A common theme I see among these technological narratives is the idea of technology in the past. You would think that we are so focused on the future of technology and where it will take us, but the narratives say otherwise. It seems as though fellow writers are still stuck in the past and how they were affected back then. These ideas differ from those of Carr and Turkle. These two authors grew up in a different generation. Things like cell phones and computers were less prevalent in older generations. It is a matter of perspective. They see technology as more of a plague towards younger generations and less towards older ones. Differently, the writers of the technological narratives view the problem within their own generation and within themselves. Carr and Turkle view the issue of technology and distraction as a storm that they had narrowly missed.
Technology is a hindrance to the very meaning of society. It causes a lack of connection with each other and in ourselves. Not only do we show signs through external actions or lack thereof, but we show signs through our intellect, projecting through speech and writing. As Nolan Sibley argues, “There is no escape from the suffocating graph technology holds on our lives. It seems as though we are in an ever-tightening straight jacket. The Internet, in all of its accessibility, has negatively impacted the way we think, our ability to learn, and how we entertain ourselves and the conversations that we have with one another” (Sibley). Sibley explains that technology has everybody in a grasp, whether they know it or not. It interferes with our mental abilities. It is a downward spiral of apathy and disconnect. Nicholas Carr has a similar argument over technology and how it affects us. He argues that the online web is creating “pancake people”. This means that societal connections are spread far and wider than ever, but its strength is diminishing with upcoming technology.
Not only are there online resources to feed us information, but there are technologies that are willing to do the work for us. Not only does this inhibit our ability to learn, but our ability to provide reasoning and ultimately, think. This is dangerous for the world and the current connections we have with one another. Cassandra Charron has a similar opinion on this matter. She argues, “Just the thought of there being a program that can do it all for you has made people less inclined to do their own thinking themselves” (Charron). This is in light of artificial intelligence making its way into the hands of students. It’s vital that we practice beneficial habits in and out of school at a young age. It is much more difficult to switch your habits when you are older than when you are younger. To stick with the theme of being able to think freely, Nicholas Carr also believes that modern technology is weakening simple reading and thinking skills. He argues, “Our ability to to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged” (Carr 3).
Moreover, the perception of technology and its impact on us has a sharp divide between generations. Older generations, who have been witnessing the advances of digital technology often have skepticism of its benefits. They believe it will alter our current ways of life. This is understandable to those who have already lived through multiple generations of change. In contrast, younger generations who have grown up with this advanced technology do not see its downsides as clearly as they should. This highlights the importance of perspective and education. It is necessary to inform younger generations of the struggles they may have to endure in the following years with technology. By understanding both the positive aspects and the downfalls of technology, we can better deal with the digital world and mitigate its effects on our thinking and connections with each other.
Nothing in Life is Certain Except Taxes, Technology, and Death
As a society we spend many hours of our day on our screens. We use our devices for everything from productivity tools for work and school, navigation from place to place, entertainment, socialmedia, communicatijg with one another, and often as an escape from the real world. We have come to find companionship and shelter in our devices and it has deeply impacted our ability to communicate with one another effectively and meaningfully. We use these tools that were initially brought to help us communicate with one another and drive connections more often as an excuse to be anti social. We allow ourselves to append hours scrolling through TikTok or playing games than being present with our loved ones. Our devices have become our most important tool and sadly for many of us it seems our very best friends.
Sherry Turkle, a Doctor of Social Studies of Science and Technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, and founder and current director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, argues that we have begun to lose the true human values that connect us due to our dependency on technology. Turkle argues “… computers offer the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship… real people demand responses to how they are feeling. And not just any response (Turkle 346).” We have truly come to find comfort and friendship in our devices, they offer us safety, security, and a place to turn to after a bad day. It is these false connections that may really come to harm us. We are losing the ability tro connect with eachother on a deeper level because we have our devices to turn to when the going gets tough.
The generation of rising adults and the youngest behind it have grown up in a world of technology, we have always been able to find comfort and dependency on our devices. In a world where things are so uncertain it seems as though we can truly depend upon our devices to be there for us. Emerson Giella A student at the University of New England, well researched on the effects of technology on development and behavior states “…the use of my phone or computer sometimes correlates with the urge to disconnect and be in my own little world, away from the one in my brain. When I feel like I need a break from my life because I’m overwhelmed…” This is a common practice for many. As a product of our generation we find comfort and relaxation in our devices, we allow ourselves to escape from reality by tuning in to a favorite show or song so that we can tune out of the stresses of everyday life. We have fostered a society that is very hard to live in and people feel as though they need an escape and when you have access to so much entertainment and information at your fingertips what better to turn to than your phone?
Technology has become an addiction, an affliction that we all face on a day-to-day basis whether we realize it or not. Technology has spread so wide that it is practically impossible to be free from its grasp. Alicia Burr a student at the university of New England has published several papers on the effect that technology has had on our ability to think deeply and how it alters our behavior explains that “…it has also come with an addiction, Instead of enjoying a conversation in front of you, we get caught up in our phones. It’s a constant battle between the phone and human interaction. Social media allows you to just show the parts you want other people to see.” Along with the introductions of such technology came an entirely new way to interact and get to know each other; social media. Social media has allowed us to connect with many people we otherwise may not have been able to but it does not foster genuine connection. The interactions we have through these platforms are superficial and surface levels, we are enabled to hide behind our screens and only display the kind of lifestyle that we want to portray.
Technology is a distraction, and we create those distractions. That is something to think about. We now live in a world with technology where it can do many things from writing something for you to giving you an answer to a question you asked within seconds. People in my generation often talk about how we have grown with technology, and yes that is true, but also not true. It depends what way you look at that statement. For some it means we have lived our whole lives with technology. Since we were little playing with a small phone, ipad, etc. We have always been around and have been connected to the internet. The other way you can interpret that statement is by thinking we have grown and became smarter with technology as it also began to grow. That is true on some levels, we have grown because of what technology can do for us. We also have used it in good ways which causes us to back track. Now the things we used to do with technology when we were little can be seen as a distraction now if we were to do the same things. It is very easy to become distracted when working. That is just the life we live in, with all the small things on the internet you can do on the internet it is very easy to sidetrack and do something else. It is as if there is a chain connecting us to something different from what you are currently doing trying to pull you away everytime you hear a “buzz” sound, for example you get a notification on your phone. Trying to overcome all of the distractions that come with being in a world where technology is everything is the hard part. It is almost as if we are constantly trapped. Nicholas Carr in “Is Google Making Us Stupid” talks about his opinion on how technology and Google most specifically has affected us as humans and is creating many distractions. Simalary to Anderson’s thoughts, Emily Scheff and Lilyan Blood, both freshman at The University of New England have very similar thoughts to those of Nicholas Carr. Distraction is a factor of us using technology and affecting us from reading, writing and thinking.
When doing something such as school work you can easily get distracted by something on the internet. By getting distracted it is taking your attention away from what you were doing, therefore limiting how much you can actually be learning and not to your full potential. Nicholas Carr shares his thoughts by saying “The process of adapting to new intellectual technologies is reflected in the changing metaphors we use to explain ourselves to ourselves. When the mechanical clock arrived, people began thinking of their brains as operating “like clockwork.” ”(Carr 4). Carr explains how our brains can become almost part of technology and not even realize it, taking us away from our actual learning. Similarly to Carr, Scheff talks about the certain parts of technology that has been affecting us as humans, “People often will doom scroll and get so sucked into it that they haven’t realized how long they have been going for. A tendency that I recognize that I have is I will go down rabbit holes, not literal ones outdoors but the ones on the internet. Whether it is something I am learning more about or something that I am new to I will continue scrolling through videos to learn more about the topic.” (Scheff). She states that she even tends to fall down the idea of backing away from your work you are doing and go onto social media and scroll through and get distracted for hours. Leading you almost feels like that is what you should be doing, back to Carr’s point of feeling like our brains are “clockwork” when it comes to being distracted. Along with both of Carr’s and Scheff’s ideas, Blood says “I feel like technology has a very big impact on us with it being a distraction. Also when you are just going about your day if you feel a buzz or something come from your phone most people will check it right then and there to see who texted them. This is very much a distraction” (Blood). What she says brings me back to my point earlier of having a phone near you and hearing that “buzz” sound can be a very distracting thing. The many things like what Blood and Scheff talk about having technology near you ties along with people feeling like the distractions are causing them to have the feeling of not fully learning to their full potential.
Digital technology is both the bane of our existence and our greatest savior. The question we are facing today is how can we adapt to be able to navigate this double-edged sword as it is so far integrated into our daily lives. Most of us have a very love-hate relationship with it as we struggle to find balance within our everyday lives. Digital technology can be very helpful and the internet has a wide variety of useful resources, but both can be damaging to our physical and mental well-being, and even to our education and ability to think for ourselves. Not only that, but the digital world is in a constant state of change and it is up to humanity to figure out how to balance it in our lives so that we are reaching our highest potential with minimal downsides. Humanity has always adapted to new technologies and their ever-changing ways, whether that was art, music, reading, writing, vehicles, etc. Now we just have to do the same with digital technology, and it may take time and changes in lifestyle, but it is possible. This idea that the digital world is in a state of constant evolution is known by many, including writers Sam Anderson, Cassie Sanger, and Emily Scheff. These authors bring about valid arguments on the benefits and drawbacks of digital technology, many of which overlap with one another. Each of these authors addresses the fact that technology is always changing and that we need it to function as a modern society, but that it could become a problem if we don’t adapt. The arguments each author makes are not specifically shared across all three authors, but they all go to make the same point. We need balance and to achieve it we need to adapt to the ever-changing state of digital technology through moderation and mindfulness.
We would not be who we are today or function in any way the same without the technological advances we have made as a species, yet we still haven’t figured out how to use many of them effectively and without damaging ourselves. We have adapted to the ever-changing of art, literature, music, architecture, and more, yet we are still lost in the endless stream of information the digital world provides us with. Cassie Sanger, a first-year student at the University of New England, says that digital technology is “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” (Sanger). And she is right. Overall, as a species, we are struggling to find balance in our lives, particularly with technology, and it is having a variety of negative effects. To that point, however, Sanger is not oblivious to the benefits digital technology has reaped, and has noted that modern society would not be anything close to what it is today without the advancements we have made as a society, many of which through digital technology. Emily Scheff, also a first-year student at the University of New England, argues a similar point. She discusses the benefits of technology in the academic world, and how the world of education would not be anything close to what it is today without those modern tools. Scheff even goes a step further and sparks a conversation about accommodations that people may need in order to receive the same education as someone who doesn’t need any extra support, many of which can only be provided through the use of digital devices. Scheff says,
“[s]imilar to technology, education and the methods that are used are constantly evolving. Devices can also be extremely useful supports for those who need them. Whether it is a closed captioning device, text-to-speech app, audiobook, audio recorder, smartpen, health monitor, remote control device or a myriad of other devices they all can significantly benefit a persons success” (Scheff).
This is a perspective commonly not considered in the digital technology debate, yet it holds such truth. People are able to succeed in the academic world despite any challenges they may have because of the accommodations that technology provides, yet this is not to say that there are no downfalls as well. With digital devices being used in the academic setting, there is more room for breaches of academic integrity, such as cheating or the use of AI. There is also more room for distraction, which Scheff also mentions. There are infinite possibilities within the digital world, and when at your fingertips, it is very easy to get sucked in and lost within it. However, if one were to learn to moderate and be mindful of the way they use digital technology, this distraction might not be the crisis situation some make it out to be.