Alone Together - Part Two

In the second part of Alone Together, Turkle shifts the focus from robots to the dependency that can be developed on machines and the relationships that they can provide for people.  She begins with the idea that virtual and social networking sites such as Second Life can allow people to develop into different characters.  I agree with the points that she makes in the following paragraphs.  Social networking sites and other messaging systems have a sense of disconnect that allow people to feel more comfortable communicating things that they probably wouldn’t in person.  Turkle says, “People come together but do not speak to each other.” 

This is best illustrated by the example she provides of Pete.  Pete has a wife and two children, but feels closer to his real self when he is engaged in Second Life.  There, he is able to talk about and discuss his problems with Jade, his virtual wife.  Although he has no desire to meet the actual person behind Jade, he attributes this relationship to saving his actual marriage because he is able to discuss the issues he has without the pressure of being judged in person.  The comfort provided through these sites makes people want to feel continuously connected.  Turkle spoke to a group of seniors from a high school and they all expressed the need to feel connected to others.  Obviously not everyone has the same opinion, and some of the people she mentions make it a point to show they do not feel tied to their devices of communication. 

Another interesting point in this part of the book is the Example of Brad.  He says that he couldn’t be “A little bit on Facebook.”  This is very much how I feel about social media and the movement of technology in general.  I consider myself to be a very extreme person, and I often find myself engrossed in something soon after I just casually started.  I think this has been a large part of my apprehension to use Twitter, buy a new gaming console, or join any type of common interest forums.  I have so many other things going on in my life that starting something new may bump something else out in my “real” life.

I certainly agree with the section relating the advancement of technology leading to anxiety.  Obviously I am not an “early adapter,” and I tend to not respond immediately to text messages or to messages sent to me on Facebook.  I normally get them as soon as they are sent, and I do feel the pressure to respond.  It is easy to explain not being able to return a phone call, but rarely are people in a position where they do not receive a text quickly. 

Turkle makes a lot of excellent points throughout this book, especially in the conclusion.  I looked at technology, mainly the people using it, with a very skeptical point of view the first few class periods.  I did not understand why people would ever spend so much time on blogs, forums, social media sites, or playing interactive video games.  I have always been one to prefer face to face communication.  I still do prefer communicating in the most personal way possible for the moment, but I now certainly see why people could turn to other methods.  As I have looked at some of the sites and communities, I now know how much more there are to them.  Not only are they a means of communicating with people that share the same interests, but they also allow users to communicate openly without the anxiety that can come with in person communication. 

I also agree with what Turkle says in the first ten pages of Chapter 8.  Americans work more than ever before, and research shows that they feel more alone than they ever have, so it is natural so turn to the best available communication to feel connected to something.  Technology is developing so fast that it is highlighting the flaws of our society.  Feeling alone, paired with the natural tendency to be self-conscious, gives social media sites an appeal that can be easy to be consumed in.  Turkle does a great job of presenting these points, and has some startling research to back it up.  I think this is one of the more interesting books that I have read, and hopefully other people see the significance of it as well.