Alone together.

            The overarching theme of Sherry Turkle’s articles is that as our usage of technology as a resource has expanded, it has come at the expense of our communication with eachother. As human beings, somewhere along the way, we have lost the ability to connect with one another, due to our overusage and possible obsession with technology. She uses examples of families being together, yet using their smartphones and computers while they are in a space together, and as Turkle says, we are “alone together”.

            In a sense, I do believe that Turkle makes a valid point. We have become so reliant on our smartphones and other forms of social technology that we do not know how to exist without it. Somehow, technology has become this shoulder we can lean on, or a system of comfort. Whenever we feel a way about something, instead of taking it up with another person, we often immediately run to social media to vent about our personal issues. Though we might have someone within arm’s reach to discuss our issues with, we seek comfort from other people through the usage of technology, abandoning those close to us for someone else on the opposing end of the screen.

            In my own personal life, I can sometimes pick up on the themes that Turkle describes in her articles. I rarely leave my phone at home, and when I do, it feels as if I am missing a limb. At work, I catch myself occasionally slipping away to the bathroom to check my phone, and even at social events, it is rare for me to be out without checking my phone once.  Although I do not believe that I am extremely bad in my habits with my cellphone, there are times where my friends and I go out for dinner and drinks, and I feel obligated to take away their phones whenever they spend too much time on them while we’re together. It was only last week when I had to confiscate my mother’s phone at a restaurant because she was too preoccupied with updating her facebook.

            However, this does not mean that we are doomed to be this way. In our own lives, we must regulate our usage of technology. It is up to us to determine when it is appropriate to use technology/social media and when it is not.  The solution is for us to stop relying on our technology for connections with people and actually focus on strengthening our connections and interpersonal relationships with the people around us. After all, putting our phones down and actually engaging with eachother may be our last saving grace.