Topic > Sherry Turkle's take on the importance of technology in communication as depicted in her book, Alone Together

Wireless IntertwiningWhile technology continues to advance at a seemingly faster pace than ever before, you might think it's difficult to keep keep up with the pace of new innovations. Quite the opposite is true, as technology itself allows you to adapt to change more conveniently than ever before. In her work Alone Together, Sherry Turkle argues that the interactive technology we have been introduced to in recent times allows us to communicate with others beyond physical and natural means. The importance of social media, along with smartphones that allow constant access to it, are factors that she believes have created a parallel, digital world, in which identity can be distorted. As a result, there are major consequences that digital interaction can have on a person's well-being. According to Turkle, when one indulges in the instantaneous and easily accessible components of digital interaction, one develops a dependence on this world for one's personal safety. Insecurity would threaten the perceived identity. I agree with Turkle's concerns about how the digital world can threaten our true identity. The high level of freedom we have through digital interaction gives us the tendency to use it to our advantage in every way possible. At the same time we become addicted to its use, allowing it to facilitate our mental well-being. With instant transmission comes the desire for instant gratification; with constant accessibility comes a lack of privacy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Long before smartphones and the internet, there has always been a social element that influenced what one did and how they saw themselves. This element was always limited to the physical situation a person was in, regarding who they were physically around and who they directly interacted with. There seemed to be an organic balance between public and private presence. One could never commit suicide for privacy reasons, which seems to be encouraged in modern social media. The social media narrative invites us to broadcast every moment of our lives to our peers, as if everything we say or feel is a unique talent that needs public approval and admiration. Validation of our feelings is what establishes them (Turkle 162). On the other hand, because we are constantly accessing the thoughts or moments of our peers, we are always thinking about what others are doing, versus what we ourselves are doing. This mindset was limited to face-to-face interactions with people and was only based on what the person we are talking to wants to share with us. Now our thoughts are much more tyrannical, based on what we see effortlessly on the web versus what we hear sparingly in person. The unique property of digital interaction is that we can be led to confuse the nature of the technology with the nature of the person we are using the technology to interact with. This is very typical of young adults and teenagers. Turkle describes a teenager who ties her emotions to text messages with her friends. As soon as he sends a text message to a friend, a tiny speck of anxiety forms, which multiplies as time passes without a response from his friends (Turkle 161). Instant SMS transmission assures the girl that her friend received the message immediately, leading her to expect an immediate response. It is normal for teenagers especially to seek validation from peers, but when.