Absently Connected

Technology has made the seemingly impossible, possible.  We are now able to connect and make friends on a global level.  As long as they have access to an Internet connection, we have the ability to connect with anyone, anywhere, at any time.  In some aspects, with the inclusion of social media, we are able to stay in touch with friends and family more frequently.  “Technology has made learning, making friends, having fun, and interacting so much easier than ever before.” (Zorzini, 2013)  On social media, all we have to do is like or share a post and we have interacted in a matter of seconds.  Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow its users to share personal information “and photos with others, regardless of the physical miles that otherwise may have prevented them from doing so.  This allows grandparents to see updates and pictures of grandchildren instantly, rather than waiting for the pictures to arrive in the mail.” (Orth, n.d.)  The increasing popularity of smartphones also allows consumers to take this ability of communicating technologically with them anywhere.  While being able to communicate on a higher frequency with loved ones and friends is a great pro of technology, it has also changed the way our society communicates with each other as a whole. 

Figure.1 Connection

We, as a society, have become constantly connected to technology.  When was the last time you left your phone at home or in your bag, forgotten?  I feel empty, naked in a sense, without my phone.  We are emailing, texting, and updating statuses constantly even if we are at work, shopping, or going to class.  We spend time together with friends, but in a sense distance ourselves and are not together because we are constantly connected to technology.  Sherry Turkle, who studies how technology shapes modern relationships, believes that this constant connection can cause “trouble in how we relate to ourselves and our capacity for self-reflection.” (2012) Why is this statement significant to social culture?  “We’re getting used to a new way of being alone together…People want to customize their lives.  They want to go in and out of all the places they are because the thing that matters to them is control over where they put their attention.” (Turkle, 2012)

Figure 2. Using Tech

We are letting technology shape who we are as individuals.  We use technology as a way to share how we feel, when we feel it.  “The problem with this new regime of ‘I share therefore I am’ is that, if we don’t have connection we don’t feel ourselves…So what do we do? We connect more and more. But in the process, we set ourselves up to be isolated.” (Turkle, 2012)  Watch this video that really makes you think of this concept and try an experiment.  The next time you are with your friends or at family dinner, try to stay off of your phone as long as possible even if you have to put it in another room or in your purse.  Spend some quality time and actually be present with the people that matter most and communicate person to person rather than being present only when you want to be.

References:

Orth, M. (n.d.). Technology & How We Communicate. Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/technology-communicate-27322.html

Turkle, S. (2012, April). Transcript of "Connected, but alone?" Retrieved January 27, 2016, from https://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together/transcript?language=en

Zorzini, C. (2013, August 26). Technology's impact on society in today's generations • Inspired Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://inspiredm.com/technologys-impact-on-society-in-todays-generations/

Images:

Connection. [Jpeg]. Retrieved on January 27, 2016 from, http://universityofficetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/TechPicture.jpg

Using Tech. [Jpeg]. Retrieved on January 27, 2016 from http://31.media.tumblr.com/336b14fecd206278d660944c7c560a46/tumblr_inline_ndknrnvAhA1saij0z.jpg

Video:

Turk, G. (2014, April 24). Look Up. [Video File]. Retrieved on January 27, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY