Alone Together
Hongxin Liu
CMN1010
Prof. Dawn Mackiewicz
11/15/2014
Facebook, Twitter, online social network, “Smart” phones and the tablets are the hotshots in our life. Many years ago we asked what we would use computers, Internet and artificial intelligence for. Now the question is what don’t we use them for (Turkle, 1). Now, through the new technology, we create, navigate, and illustrate our emotional lives by those electronic machines and those transmit signals. At the same time, we are losing something called “connection” or “relationship” which we are not born with, but we used to have it. This is a profound skill, which developed in the young ages, but young people may not get the skills done.
Young people achieve the opposite of what they hope to achieve when they ‘connect’ via the Internet: although young people have a good connection though the Internet, they don’t have real relationships there.
Sherry Turkle, a professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology in MIT brought an interesting idea, “People bend to the inanimate with new solicitude and people’s concern (Alone Together, 217). We fear the risks and disappointments of relationships with our fellow humans. We expect more from technology and less from each other.”
One day I used to have a talk with my roommate who lived on the second floor; I was too lazy to climb those twenty steps to his room, and instead had a ‘Facetime’ call to talk with him. It seems doesn’t hurt the relationship between my roommate and I. Plus the new “Facetime” technology was so amazing and attractive for us at that time. It doesn’t hurt when we did once, but it is truly hurt if we always communicate by “Facetime.” I am thinking off we are not roommate anymore; we just are two “Facetime-mate” who are living together.
The Internet is no longer represent the electric wire between the port behind your computer and the modem. The Internet means a lot. The wireless connection to the computer, the smart phone and tablets. It
CMN1010
Prof. Dawn Mackiewicz
11/15/2014
Facebook, Twitter, online social network, “Smart” phones and the tablets are the hotshots in our life. Many years ago we asked what we would use computers, Internet and artificial intelligence for. Now the question is what don’t we use them for (Turkle, 1). Now, through the new technology, we create, navigate, and illustrate our emotional lives by those electronic machines and those transmit signals. At the same time, we are losing something called “connection” or “relationship” which we are not born with, but we used to have it. This is a profound skill, which developed in the young ages, but young people may not get the skills done.
Young people achieve the opposite of what they hope to achieve when they ‘connect’ via the Internet: although young people have a good connection though the Internet, they don’t have real relationships there.
Sherry Turkle, a professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology in MIT brought an interesting idea, “People bend to the inanimate with new solicitude and people’s concern (Alone Together, 217). We fear the risks and disappointments of relationships with our fellow humans. We expect more from technology and less from each other.”
One day I used to have a talk with my roommate who lived on the second floor; I was too lazy to climb those twenty steps to his room, and instead had a ‘Facetime’ call to talk with him. It seems doesn’t hurt the relationship between my roommate and I. Plus the new “Facetime” technology was so amazing and attractive for us at that time. It doesn’t hurt when we did once, but it is truly hurt if we always communicate by “Facetime.” I am thinking off we are not roommate anymore; we just are two “Facetime-mate” who are living together.
The Internet is no longer represent the electric wire between the port behind your computer and the modem. The Internet means a lot. The wireless connection to the computer, the smart phone and tablets. It
Cited: Sherry, Turkle. (2012). Alone Together, Perseus Books Group, Philadephia, PA Sherry, Turkle. (Feb, 2012). http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together.html Alexander George, August. 2009. “What we expect next?”, Wired Magazine, p65 Marc Aronson. (2008) Bill Gates (Up close), Viking Juvenile publish