Position Paper

Regalado, Xyza Faye T.
BSA 1-23
May 4, 2019
Position Paper on Sherry Turkle's The Flight from Conversation
Looking back at history, technology has been the catalyst for many changes such as the
invention of printing press, early computers, and the internet. Before Facebook, Gmail, or Twitter
existed, people’s life may not be as convenient as today where it was necessary to transfer from one
place to another just to socialize, to purchase stuffs, and to process the things they need. It is no
surprise then how the technological boom transformed the way of living in the modern age. We now
live in a world where the use social media tends to isolate us from the real, physical world thus
bringing us more harm than good in terms of developing our personality in communicating face-to-
face with others. This paper aims to debunk the positive views and beliefs of people on how
connection by means of online platforms can be used as an efficient substitute to conversation.
The internet has now become an electronic drug that yanks us away from the physical world.
We may enjoy online relationships using social media sites but the difference between these
interactions is far more different with the interaction we have in real world. For instance, it tends to
strip away important aspect of how people relate and connect to a personal level. This can be
especially true in our most intimate relationships. As mentioned by Sherry Turkle on her article, in
the work place, text messages tend to distract executives during board meetings; also, at home,
families sit together but everyone’s busy with their gadgets. It seems that some people neglect the
essence of non-verbal communication. For instance, no electronic message can substitute a gentle
smile and heartfelt hug for a friend that is going through a rough time.
Digital communication does not only impair our ability to relate with each other, but being
technology-enabled also affect the way we view and interpret things. We have now become
accustomed of the new way of being “alone together”—believing that technology can still help us to
be connected despite of the physical distance thus, eliminating the need of having a face-to-face
conversation. As the use of messaging apps became widespread across different places, people can
easily connect with each other without having the need to set up a schedule when to discuss a certain
agenda. The habit of depending too much on online platforms will eventually make us realize that the
more it looks like it brings us closer together, the more it feels like it’s pushing each other apart.
According to Dr. Alex Lickerman of Psychology Today, these show why cases of depression
significantly increased among those who spend most of the time engaging in social media.
Ronald Brownstein, in his article, “How has technology changed the concept of community?”
presents the different views of Americans as they live through a revolution in communications and
computer technology. A respondent named Andrew Kowalski, an 18-year-old in Walla Walla,
Washington stated that technology takes away the eye contact and communication from person to
person. In addition, there became a lot of technology-to-person instead of face-to-face contact, where
people tend to hide behind their phones. It’s saddening to find out how digital connection takes away
the real conversation, on how people miss the unedited moments where they can reveal the real them
to others.
A famous Albert Einstein saying states, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human
interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” At present, the doors of the digital world has
opened a vast opportunities for us, but with the world at our fingertips, are we losing sight of the
places outside of our windows? In this world where the digital media isolates us from the real,
physical world, we should identify ways to use these inventions successfully without cheating
ourselves out of genuine human connection in the process, helping one another not to let the world
be a generation of idiots that Einstein once said.
References:
Brownstein, R. (2015). How Has Technology Changed the Concept of Community? Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/10/community-in-the-digital-
age/408961/
Lickerman, A. (2010). The Effect Of Technology On Relationships. Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-in-world/201006/the-effect-
technology-relationships
New York Times. (N.D.) Is Technology Bringing Us Together or Pushing Us Apart? Retrieved from
http://qideas.org/articles/the-flight-from-conversation

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Regalado, Xyza Faye T.

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