Technology and Intimacy
Our life style has evolved significantly as a result of
technological progress. As Turkle claims, it has transformed every socio-economic
aspect including education, business and medicine (152). In the modern era, technology
stands our strongest ally. Our obsessive and abusive usage of the privilege is,
however, leading us down a dangerous path.
One social aspect technology has conquered is social
interaction. The way we interact with each other has been changing continuously
as more sophisticated but easier-to-use devices are being introduced on regular
bases. Drawn by the allure of these toys, most of us spend a significant amount
of time in our fortress of solitude, where we indulge an illusion of social interaction.
We stay in touch with multiple individuals at the same time via media outlets
without capturing the real emotion driving the conversation. Although these
means of communication allow for greater free space, they pose a risk of undermining
the person at the other end to an object (Turkle, 154). Some fear this threat
has already been realized. When we tweet or address a group of friends on Facebook,
we are treating the individuals as a unit (Turkle, 168). The networking tools
are also inspiring frustration. Some voice concerns about privacy as most of
these Medias are readily accessible to everyone (Turkle, 256). Nonetheless,
most of us choose to continue making use of these medias for we have no other
way to turn. People found at a close proximity to us – parents and friends
alike – are consumed by the web (Turkle, 267). Therefore, we have no choice but
to join the playground and fight for the attention we seek.
The impact of social networking that technology made
possible in recent years has mounted to make some of us nostalgic about earlier
days when social interactions were mainly conducted face to face. I believe we
are well past the turning point. Hereafter, technology continues to progress at
a greater pace transforming our way of life to the point where we lose the
legacy of social intimacy altogether.
I agree with you, Hayu, that technology will only continue to progress until the point where we will lose social intimacy altogether. Turkle remains hopeful that we (humans) will be able to change the way we interact with technology but she has no reason to feel this way (294). In fact, her book is great enough evidence as to why humans will not be able to change. We are completely enraptured by technology. We have gotten lost in it. We have let it consume us; we've let it be us. We have convinced ourselves that the positive consequences of technology outweigh anything else. The social change has been so gradual that no one has had time to notice, or really to blame, technology for the shift. And in the process we have let ourselves only get further immersed.
ReplyDeleteTurkle acknowledges the fact that technology will not be able to go away but she believes that users will be able to restrain their usage. I'm wary of this idea. Even after reading her book, and basically reading my life in print, I know I won't give up my technology. I cannot give a rational reason why, other than "It's the only thing I know." We fell into the trap of technology so easily, we couldn't deny it's pull, and just because we are now aware of the consequences doesn't mean we will suddenly be able to resist. We read last week that the Internet has changed the way we think. We're lazier in our thinking. We expect to be able to access information immediately and we give up if we don't. This impatience has transmitted to our lives in general and I can't expect people to become willing enough to patiently fight against the technological pull. It would be a hard fight, hard enough to deter people at just the mention of. I don't think resisting the "always on, always on you" idea is a realistic claim. Unless a huge cultural movement emerges from the acknowledgment of the negative consequences, I cannot imagine society fighting against an enemy with no threat of death.
I'm not ready to surrender just yet, Beaumont. Hadi has been working on a draft of his paper in which he thinks hard about how "representative" Turkle's research subjects have been.
ReplyDeleteI wonder too about the backlash against this by the youngsters she interviews in her concluding chapter and conclusion. I want to see it, because I love these tools. They let us extend class in the very way we've done this weekend.
Some technologies do inspire the sort of frustration Hayu mentions. American consumers rejected talking cars in the 1980s: a brief feature in some models that drivers felt to be too intrusive. See this page for more on that failure.
I should have waited to post. I meant I want to see the backlash, because that sort of pivot in the history of technology usually leads not to outright rejection but nuanced use of a worthy tool.
ReplyDeleteYou (Hayu) have made a sweeping generalization about social networking by the use of the word “we”. There are approximately 361,000,000 users on the internet. Do you, or Turkle, speak for all those users? No. You speak for a tiny fraction of the population whose use of the internet is a reflection of the social structure they live in. Turkle’s own book is testament to this fact. Chapter 13 talks about Hannah who spends hours upon hours online because she feels that if she doesn’t, she will be deemed ‘unpopular’ by the popular kids in her high school. This kind of social hierarchy within educational institutions is not present throughout the world but a few specific countries. Therefore, the book might not be acclaimed abroad and your use of the word “we” unneeded. Furthermore, we cannot judge these “toys” by how people choose to use them. These “toys” are double edged, very much like a knife: In the hands of a chef, the knife is tool for the preparation of food and in the hands of Jack the Ripper, it is something dangerous. It is time we stop blaming the tools and take some of the blame ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not believe that technology has consumed as much as Turkle has suggested in her book. I think the abuse of any technology is possible and the habits of a selected group from the US can hardly speak for the entire world. technology has also enhanced our relationships. We can stay in touch with our family and friends back home. The way technology is used different for everyone. I think that we are still far away from the days where we value a computer screen more than human companionship ( If that occurs at all).
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