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A review by mwatts168
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle
3.0
First book review in a while!! (This is just another way I am procrastinating studying for exams)
This book was a chore to finish... AT FIRST! I was not a fan when I first started the book because I usually hate having discussions about how technology shapes society/ us as individuals. About halfway (maybe 5/8) through, Turkle made me reconsider my beliefs. The data she found from her research was stupifying! This book made me rethink how not only technology but the age of technology shapes my life. I realized that my uneasy feeling during solitude was not healthy. We live in a world where we cannot handle this much needed time alone with our thoughts. I was having a conversation with Ethan a few months back, and he said something along the lines of "I feel bad for you, you never have time to just be with yourself and just think about you. You've never been able to reflect." This was weird when he said it to me, but now I really understand. I have been conditioned to always occupying my mind. I've felt like I'm in a race against time or what have you.
Sorry to get all weird!!
Anyway, we might lie to ourselves and claim we have alone time but we still are "connected." This is not good either!
Another thing I found interesting was technology's effect on empathy. It is terrifying to see kids, not much younger than me, unable to see the consequences of actions. I can even relate to this. Many people (usually younger, but not always) refuse to apologize in person. I hate apologizing in person! It sucks! But that's the point. If you do not see how your actions affect people, you never gain that empathy.
The chapter about education and the workforce are interesting, but I probably shouldn't tell you everything.
This book was a chore to finish... AT FIRST! I was not a fan when I first started the book because I usually hate having discussions about how technology shapes society/ us as individuals. About halfway (maybe 5/8) through, Turkle made me reconsider my beliefs. The data she found from her research was stupifying! This book made me rethink how not only technology but the age of technology shapes my life. I realized that my uneasy feeling during solitude was not healthy. We live in a world where we cannot handle this much needed time alone with our thoughts. I was having a conversation with Ethan a few months back, and he said something along the lines of "I feel bad for you, you never have time to just be with yourself and just think about you. You've never been able to reflect." This was weird when he said it to me, but now I really understand. I have been conditioned to always occupying my mind. I've felt like I'm in a race against time or what have you.
Sorry to get all weird!!
Anyway, we might lie to ourselves and claim we have alone time but we still are "connected." This is not good either!
Another thing I found interesting was technology's effect on empathy. It is terrifying to see kids, not much younger than me, unable to see the consequences of actions. I can even relate to this. Many people (usually younger, but not always) refuse to apologize in person. I hate apologizing in person! It sucks! But that's the point. If you do not see how your actions affect people, you never gain that empathy.
The chapter about education and the workforce are interesting, but I probably shouldn't tell you everything.