Table of contentsIntroductionFear of conversation in the digital worldThe desire for digital omnipresenceConclusionReferencesIntroduction“Connected, but alone? is a thought-provoking talk delivered by Sherry Turkle, a leading psychologist, during her 2012 TED talk. Sixteen years after her first TED talk in 1996, Turkle returns to the topic of technology's impact on contemporary communication patterns. Through his talk, Turkle explores the preference for asynchronous digital communication over real-time interaction and explores the phenomenon of substituting real dialogue for superficial connections. She points out that brief online exchanges lack the depth and authenticity inherent in face-to-face conversations, leaving individuals with an incomplete understanding of their interlocutors. The meaning of “Connected, but alone?” " by Turkle" goes beyond the presentation itself, as it constitutes an urgent call to reflect on the question "Who am I in this digital world?" » This introspective question encapsulates the central themes of the talk: the apprehensions surrounding direct interaction, the incessant search for virtual omnipresence, and the deep question of loneliness exacerbated by technology. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Fear of Conversations in the Digital World Although technology has greatly contributed to making communication more effective, many people prefer to communicate through technology for the reason they fear. a real conversation. There are a variety of reasons for this, according to family therapist and counselor Dr. Victoria LeBlanc, such as the inability to put thoughts into words, fear of judgment, and fear of rejection. As Turkle explained, unlike face-to-face conversation, we can choose and think about the words we will say, and we have the power to present ourselves however we want. Online communication simply gives us dominance and control over the situation with the words we choose. Additionally, gestures and facial expressions play a big role in a conversation since it is a non-verbal communication that can completely affect the message you send to the recipient. Face-to-face conversations retain this spirit unlike an online interaction where a raw message is presented and interpretation is based solely on the receiver. This is where the misunderstanding occurs. In a conversation, for example, a message can be misinterpreted by the recipient since there are no gestures or facial expressions to rely on. However, in the digital world, we can modify the raw messages we present depending on how we want them to be presented. While some reasons to fear conversation are valid, people need to wake up and learn to overcome these fears and turn them into their strengths, because real conversation remains the best way to present ideas and emotions with a clearer understanding of the part of the recipient. While digital communication is a good thing, everyone is called to participate in real conversations for the better. The desire for digital omnipresence Furthermore, even if people don't completely close their doors to face-to-face conversations, they won't get rid of them. from their cell phone during their meeting. Nowadays, people are not content to be in a single place or event, rather they want to be connected everywhere, anywhere. Thiscircumstance is what Turkle dubbed “being alone together,” where people strangely want to be together, but also somewhere else. People always want to identify with what they see in the digital world and not being able to meet this need leads them to feel like they are missing out. (Abel et al., 2016) At a class reunion, for example, participants are very excited to meet their friends they haven't seen in a long time, but at the event they Even, you see people periodically checking their cell phones for the latest news or even simple memes. Everyone wants to be everywhere. Being omnipresent is something mortals would like to do but cannot. Omnipresence causes a person to be able to connect to everything humans want. But since physical omnipresence is impossible for humans, we do it in the digital world. This matter is evident everywhere, at parties or formal meetings, heads are bowed looking at their phones. The idea of ​​being digitally omnipresent can sometimes be helpful for our self-esteem, but in the long run we will find that it slowly distances us from reality. As Turkle says, “We sacrifice conversation for simple connection.” It's discouraging to think that we worry about missing out on social media, but aren't bothered when we miss out on the real world. This problem, if not addressed, causes us to settle for social media connections, which can then lead to a bigger problem, loneliness. Contrary to what other people say about using social media to escape the reality of loneliness, heavy use of social media and digital devices leads to loneliness. People wrongly view being alone as synonymous with loneliness. However, the Collins English Dictionary defines loneliness as the state of being unhappy because you have no one to talk to. In other words, just being alone does not equate to loneliness. As Turkle said, it seems that “being alone feels like a problem to be solved.” In reality, being alone is a part of life. “The many hours young adults now spend in front of screens are replacing time spent in face-to-face interactions. » (Yavich, et al., 2019). People are so afraid of being alone that they always turn to their social networks to fill their state of loneliness. We always try to run away from the reality that there are times when we will be alone and try to solve it by immersing ourselves in the virtual world. Unfortunately, a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania suggests that teens who use social media a lot are 3 times more likely to feel socially isolated. Although social media can help alleviate our loneliness for a while, in the long run it only makes it worse in imperceptible ways. I can personally testify to this because I was a victim of it. I tried to soak up social media, trying to get validation from others to make me feel welcome. This was helpful at first, but I soon realized that it wasn't doing me any good and was just leading me to deeper loneliness. Online connections cannot completely replace a real companion. A reaction on Facebook will never be better than an in-depth discussion accompanied by a real hug. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion “Connected, But Alone?” by Sherry Turkle is a reminder to everyone that the state of communication at..2017.01.010