Refutation essay

Brown 5

Patty Brown

Dr. Thayer

ENC 1102

12 Mar. 2018

Are we Really “Connected, but Alone”?

In her 2012 TED Talk, “Connected, but Alone,” psychologist, sociologist, and cultural analyst Sherry Turkle argues that technology has left society constantly connected but always alone. She claims that “our little devices, those little devices in our pockets, are so psychologically powerful that they don't only change what we do, they change who we are.” After conducting fifteen years of research on the matter, Turkle found that we have exchanged the face-to-face, unfiltered, intimate conversations of the past for more controlled, revised interactions fostered by technology. She argues, “Texting, email, posting, all of these things let us present the self as we want to be. We get to edit, and that means we get to delete, and that means we get to retouch, the face, the voice, the flesh, the body -- not too little, not too much, just right.” Turkle continues to ascertain that we seek comfort in technology in unsettling ways. She believes that “technology appeals to us most where we are most vulnerable. And we are vulnerable. We're lonely, but we're afraid of intimacy. And so from social networks to sociable robots, we're designing technologies that will give us the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.” She ends her talk clarifying that she is not necessarily against technology, but asserts that we must reconnect to each other in real, intimate ways. Although Turkle raises valid points regarding our current relationships with technology, she omits vital information that, essentially, make her claims less than convincing.

Although Turkle is a credible authority on the subject matter, she does not incorporate her research or any facts and statistics into her argument. She begins with a personal anecdote of her daughter texting her good luck, which provides a platform for her to begin her argument on our over-reliance on technology for companionship, but she does not segue from that personal story into larger, more global facts to help illustrate her points. In a sense, this talk seemed more like a story, or a personal narrative, rather than a reliable, researched point-of-view. She argues that “Over the past 15 years, I've studied technologies of mobile communication and I've interviewed hundreds and hundreds of people, young and old, about their plugged in lives;” however, she does not detail her research at all. In fact, that is the only sentence of her entire speech in which she addresses her research. What research did she conduct? What forms of mobile communication were being examined? What were her findings? These questions are never addressed in her talk. A claim is only as strong as the evidence that supports it; in Turkle’s case, her lack of evidence transforms her argument to a biased, unfounded opinion. Unfortunately, too many questions remain regarding her studies that go unanswered. This, in turn, damages her credibility as a trustworthy authority on this issue.

Perhaps one of the most outrageous flaws one can find in Turkle’s argument are her hasty generalizations. She provides examples of how technology is used in ways that are detrimental to relationships, but she assumes every individual is guilty of such actions. She states:

So just to take some quick examples: People text or do email during corporate board meetings. They text and shop and go on Facebook during classes, during presentations, actually during all meetings. People talk to me about the important new skill of making eye contact while you're texting. (Laughter) People explain to me that it's hard, but that it can be done. Parents text and do email at breakfast and at dinner while their children complain about not having their parents' full attention. But then these same children deny each other their full attention.

Do many people pull out their smartphones at inopportune times? Of course. But, many don’t. As a professor who stands at the front of the class and interacts with young, tech-savvy individuals on a daily basis, I am well aware that technology can be a distraction--to some. To say that all students are distracted by the technology that is at their fingertips negates those who don’t allow it to distract them from their education. Just as not all of my students are easily distracted by their devices, not all individuals hide behind technology in order to deny attention and affection to their loved ones. In short, the examples she uses are hypothetical, fictitious, overgeneralized and unfair.

What Turkle fails to acknowledge is that technology has been used in myriad ways that truly impact our relationships, and ourselves for the better. In many instances, technology helps us to create and fortify relationships. Families use their technological devices to remain connected with each other, especially in today’s time when many families are dispersed over various cities, states, and even continents. For example, military wife, Ginger Munsom, is grateful for how modern technologies have kept her and her children in contact with their deployed husband and father:

When Ginger Munson and her children planned to contact her husband, Chief Warrant Officer 4 George Q. Munson, this past Father's Day, she began to recall the communication methods of the past, when she had to mail audiocassette tapes just so her husband could hear her voice during Desert Storm. Nowadays, video chatting has made the distance between family members seem a lot shorter. (“FaceTime and Skype”)

Without 21st century technologies, thousands of deployed soldiers would have to wait months, or even years, to see their families’ faces. With these modern developments in technology, families are able to remain closely connected while physically apart. This is a clear benefit that Turkle fails to mention in her speech--a benefit that, in fact, strengthens intimate relationships rather than tearing them apart.

Today’s technologies have even allowed people to increase their overall quality of living. For instance, 3D printing is one of the latest technological inventions and has already been utilized in some awe-inspiring manners. Scientific researcher at Rochester Institute of Technology, John Schull, uses 3D printing capabilities to create hand prosthetics for children free of charge. He explains:

A prosthetic arm these days costs about $40,000. One in 2,000 kids are born with some kind of an arm or hand abnormality. They don’t get prosthetics because it makes no sense to spend $40,000 on something they’re going to outgrow in a year. With a 3-D printer, we can start making these things almost for nothing. (PBS NewsHour)

With this current technology, children around the world can acquire prosthetics that they desperately need to develop their gross and fine motor skills. Utilizing current technologies, such as the 3D printing capabilities, people of all socioeconomic backgrounds are able to reap the benefits. The affordability of advanced modern technologies is something Turkle does not address at all, as she overlooks just how the latest technologies can be utilized to improve someone’s overall quality of life. This oversight leads one to question just how well-versed she is regarding the implications of the most recent technological advancements.

It is important to note that Turkle makes some very valid points in her argument. Our preoccupations with the latest posts, likes, shares, and tweets have certainly altered the means by which we establish, and maintain, relationships. However, her failure to even mention how technology has fostered relationships and helped millions of people in real, tangible ways leaves the audience with a one-sided view of a multi-faceted issue. Perhaps it is due to the short timeframe allotted for a TED Talk that she could not address the potentials of 21st century technologies and how they can booster relationships. Whatever reason, her argument was weakened because of her hasty generalizations, lack of research, and reluctance to address the true benefits technology has brought to our world. Because of these vital oversights, her argument, and her credibility, is called into question.

Works Cited

“FaceTime and Skype Keep Families Connected Abroad.” AFBA, 20 June 2014, newsroom.afba.com/military-life/facetime-and-skype-keep-families-connected-abroad/.

PBS NewsHour. “3-D Printers Put Limb Prosthetics for Kids in Reach.” PBS NewsHour. NewsHour Productions, LLC, 23 Nov. 2015, www.pbs.org/newshour/show/3-d-printers-put-limb-prosthetics-for-kids-in-reach.

Turkle, Sherry. “Connected, but Alone.” TED, Feb. 2012, www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle _alone_together.