Name: Hener John N.

Bustamante Date: October 05, 2023

Program/Yr./Section: BSED-1A Requirements: Midterm

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Sherry Turkle: Connected but Alone?

Sherry Turkle introduced this topic to everyone to show the impact of technology in

communication. She stated facts about technology, including its cause and most possible

solutions. I could firmly say that this topic is timely and relevant to everyone because most

people today are having mobile phones. Below, are my reaction and opinion throughout her

speech.

Sherry Turkle started her opening speech by saying, "I am a woman who loves

receiving texts who's going to tell you that too many of them can be a problem." I was

totally confused to what she wanted to emphasize or point out in her message. But at

the same moment, I was excited to what she might tell us. She also introduced herself

first before telling another statement, "Our devices inside of our pockets are so

psychologically powerful; they don't only change what we do, they also change who

we are". I was surprised with that powerful truth statement knowing most of the

people on earth are having phones respectively today. Then, Ms. Turkle throwed a

joke saying people nowadays discovered a new skill—making eye contact while

texting. I laughed, totally laughing because I admit doing it and continuously doing it

anyway. She added, 'having a conversation with anybody let us relate to each other,

to ourselves, and our capacity for self-reflection'. I agreed to that statement she

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shared with us, a conversation with anybody let us express our feeling genuinely

without anything to worry if it is presentable or not.

Moreover, when a crowd goes a little loud, she suddenly asked 'What's wrong

of having a conversation?', she said, 'conversation in essential, it takes real place, and

you can't control what you going say', this statement made her statement before

more believable. And I believed her more than before because I think everyone are

facing it today. After that, she continues discussing, 'texting, emails, and posting in

different social media platforms let us present ourselves as we want to be, we get to

edit and that means we get to delete'. I am more of like shot by an arrow of truth, I

think I am on her live speech and I get to catch every word she said, and all those

sentences coming out from her mouth was all made for me. At the same time, I agree

to that, when we are posting or texting for someone or something using our

smartphones, we tend to erase words that are not suitable.

In addition, she also gave the reasons why does people often choose

connection over conversation. Because people think no one's listening, they think

machines are the only thing understands them. That is why it is appealing of having

Facebook or Instagram listeners. The feeling of being heard or listened online makes

us spend more time with machine that seem to care about us. But in reality,

machines can't empathize, they don't even know what is life, and they aren't aware

that death exists because they won't face it eventually. It's absolutely right, machine

don't have life, they have been made by people or let's just say they are manmade

objects. They don't know how to love or care, and it makes people weird when they

find love on it. Ms. Turkle asked, 'why has things came to this?', because technology

appeal to us most, when we are most vulnerable. I felt a little enlightened at this
time, and I know I have a lot of things to know when I continue to listen and

watch—I continued.

At last, Ms. Turkle delivered her ending speech and as she were keep engaging

with her audience she said, 'It's time to talk'. And to hear these words were such an

echoing message on me. It's time for change, for real and genuine conversation that

we couldn't find to anything on this world. We must find the courage to utilize our

phones when it is most needed. We must always remember, being alone doesn't

mean lonely, it is the time to reflect on ourselves, to gather, and find solitude.

Reference

https://youtu.be/t7Xr3AsBEK4?si=oiTVWITyk0GBUoDS