Ted Talk By Kio Stark Analysis

Kio Stark discusses the benefit of talking to strangers in her TED Talk, “Why You Shouldn’t Talk to Strangers”. She explains that although many grow up with the saying, “stranger danger”, it may not be so black and white. A simple greeting to a stranger has no real semantic meaning, rather they acknowledge somebody else’s presence. Through her recording of interactions with strangers, Stark has found unexpected pleasures and genuine emotional interactions through everyday conversations with stranger. She explains that the reason people in general are wearisome of strangers is because people don’t have any context of them. Subconsciously, the human brain likes to categorize people. The author states, “ We see male, female, young, old, black, brown, white, stranger, friend, and we use the information in that box. It's quick, it's
I would talk to strangers because I do feel more relaxed when I talk to a random stranger rather than somebody I talk to every day. This is because, as Stark admits, the stranger is somebody we never will meet again, and there are no consequences of saying or doing something that someone you know well would judge you for. I also feel more important or valued when somebody does something as simple as greeting me, even if I don’t know who that person is. This is similar to Stark’s idea of “fleeting intimacy”. If I have a longer conversation with a stranger, I feel I have made a certain connection with that person. Furthermore, if we share common interests, we could become some sort of friends for a longer period of time, rather than for just a few minutes. Also, now I know some easy ways to start a conversation, which can make talking to strangers easier, and then I will be more inclined to do so. Because of its obvious benefits, talking to strangers should no longer be frowned upon. Instead, it should be celebrated and