Connected, but alone by Sherry Turkle (Reaction Paper)

To talk about conversation, talking, getting along with other and hanging out with
friends, people are in terrible state at it, for technology had already sized by technology and we
cannot deny the fact that our world was already covered of technological advances to make life
easy, and I do really believe that we are dependent on it but how does it affects the real time
conversation of people to each other.

As I watched the talk of Sherry Turkle entitled “Connected, but Alone” I was opened to
the reality of how worst of the communicating condition of people. Turkle discussed the idea of
alone together, where she showed a picture of her daughter and friends together in a bedroom but
not having conversation, because they are busy on their phones. She also tackled how
conversation turned to virtual connection where she made a study of a woman in a hospital who
were given a robot with a baby seal designed, and made the woman comfortable. It amazed other
people but for Sherry, it is a problem that we address that the natural communication of people to
each other are slowly fading, robots don’t know the arc of human life, not afraid of death nor
experience the life. And Sherry ended up to the notion which is similar to Rene Descartes which
states that “I share therefore I am”, people tend to make appeal to the internet because it can
easily reach people, when you are vulnerable, alone, you tend to check in phones to games,
which makes you feel okay but the truth that slaps is that you are getting alone more than you
think. Connection, conversation is important, to give love to others.

Based on my opinion, I fully support Sherry Turkle for her talk about the awareness and
importance of having conversation. I have two (2) things that I want to discuss on her talk, first is
that “Alone Together” and “I share therefore I am”. People nowadays losing the essence of
having conversation, even if you are in a meeting, gathering, church, school and other events
which a person should pay attention on what they are doing, you are together in a group, but it
feels alone, because people are holding their phones tablets, and other devices, this thing is a big
problem especially for me that I am afraid that this thing would happened to family and future
family where technology that was supposed to be a “want” will turn into a “need”. Second point
was that, “I share therefore I am” which makes me laugh because nowadays sharing memes are
in trend, like sharing humors, and funny stuffs in social networking sites, but it is not good to
think to be honest, because conversation should be easy but then again, people resort to use
technology because it is easy to communicate, and it has already an impact in terms of
psychological manner, but the truth was, it doesn’t make you feel surrounded, because
comforting online is a temporary ease and not intimate, because empathy and love should be
shown personally to a person who has a problem so having real time personal conversation is the
best of all best.

As a BSEMC student, we all know that student with same course like me have more time
using the technology to gain and earn money for us to live, and that talk of Sherry Turkle really
suits my thing, because before I was really fan of playing computer games, streaming online,
reading books, I’ve been so dependent with my computer and phone, but I realized that it doesn’t
help me to get along with people, I deleted my skills on communicating personally, but when
that time I experienced life, hanging out with people, getting into relationship, I gained my
communicating skills, now that I am a second year student of EMC, I was able to keep my
school works like animation were we spend our time animating, coding, and making artworks as
well as my social life. I can say that I am connected, and along with people together.

Clark Robert S Ursua

BSEMC DAT 2