Sherry Turkle Ted Talk

Sherry Turkle’s TEDx talk

1) According to Sherry Turkle, Where or when do we use our phones now that would have

been considered odd or disturbing a few years ago? Why do you think this is (should be)

disturbing?

 They change who we are. Only a few years ago, these things would have been old our disturbing. Some examples:

-People text or do email during meetings: text, shops go on Facebook during classes, meetings…

-Parents write texts during breakfast or diner

-Text at funerals

We are making trouble about how we should relate on each other, to ourselves to our capacity of self-reflection

2) What is the Goldilocks effect and how can it be dangerous?

People can get enough of each other, only if they have each other at a distance in amounts they can control. Adults and adolescents have problems of developing face-to-face relations.

3) What does it mean that we sacrifice conversation for connection?

The problem with conversation is that it takes place in real time and you can’t control what you’re going to say. Human relationships are rich, messing and demanding. We can clean them up with technology. When we do, we can sacrifice conversation for connection: we short-change ourselves. Over time, we seem to forget this.

4) Texts or “small sips” of communication are good for communicating information. What

are they bad for? How can this affect us personally and individually?

They add up to one big “gulp” of real conversation. They don’t really work for learning about each other, for really coming to know and understand each other. We use conversation with each other to learn how to have conversations with ourselves. A flight from conversation can really matter because it can compromise our capacity of self-reflection. For kids growing up, that skill is bad for their development.

5) What does it mean that we expect more from technology and less from each other?

People have the feeling that no one is listening to them. That makes them feel like they want to spend more time with machines. They have the feeling that no one is caring about them.

So they expect more from technology and less from each other.

6) Technology appeals to us most where we are most vulnerable. She says we are lonely,

but afraid of intimacy. We want to illusion of companionship without the demands of

friendship. What does she mean by this?

By saying this, she means that technology makes us feel like we’re not alone even. Sometimes, it can also be when we want to go and talk to other people, but we can’t. We are designing technologies that will give us the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship. We turn to technology to help us feel connected in ways we can control. For example, when we have difficulties to make friends, be on our phones makes us less alone because you want to give the impression that even if you are alone, you have other people and things to care about in your virtual world.

7) What are the three fantasies technology gives us? Do you agree? Are there dangers to

these fantasies? If so, what are they?

They are changing our minds and hearts. Technology gives us three fantasies:

-That we can put our attention wherever we want it to

-That we will always be heard

-That we will never have to be alone

I agree with the three of them. In fact, you can find whatever you want to on the internet. Your research and followings are based on what you like and want to see. It seems that you are heard because when you use social medias, you have the feeling that people who are following you have interest about knowing you, your life, your opinions… With all of these people on your screen, it seems like you are not alone. Even if you are alone at one moment, by using your phone, computer… you give the impression that you have connections with other people that are part of your virtual world. The danger starts at the moment you get alone even if it’s for a few seconds. People become anxious, they panic, reach for a device.

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