Technology Controversy: Stop Googling

Douglas Reese
Professor Ausra Buzenas
English W 130
November 3, 2015
Technology Controversy
There was a time when families were able to go on vacation, take pictures with a Polaroid or a 35 mm. camera, and continue on with having fun as a family. Upon returning home, we would take the film in to the local Photo Shack and have the film developed, which took a few days to do depending how many rolls were brought in, but that was the worst part of it was the waiting. When we got the pictures back, I remember the fun we had as a family showing the pictures to friends and other family members, and being emotionally connected with each other. The bond of family and friends was real, and so was the conversation. Fast-forward to today’s modern times
of picture messaging, the cloud, or any of the social media outlets on the internet. You can upload your pictures and videos to family and friends instantly without having to wait for the Photo Shack to develop them, but this comes with a price, we forget that with the ease of sharing these things on the internet, we lose the emotional connection with each other, and the conversation loses true meaning and sincerity.
Although it may prove helpful, our use of technology is ultimately problematic because, as a technical savvy society, we use technology to keep in touch with family and friends from across town or around the globe. However we do not realize that when we start and stop conversations with someone when your cell phone phone rings, or check your social media updates, this can lead one to assume that you are not interested in the conversation you are having, and you are not listening to what they are saying, especially if they feel that it is important. Technology allows us to appear to be sympathetic without being emotionally connected, typing words on a phone or computer screen does not show true human emotion and allows us to avoid a conversation if we so choose.
Sherry Turkle in her article “Stop Googling.
Let’s Talk”, further supports my claim of technology replacing human interaction and empathy in conversations by creating acceptable situations to excuse our use of technology during social gatherings by asserting, “In conversation among five or six people at dinner, you have to check that three people are paying attention-heads up- before you give yourself permission to look down at your phone. So conversation proceeds, but with different people having their heads up at different times. The effect is what you would expect: Conversation is kept relatively light, on topics where people feel that they can drop in and out” (para3). Turkle has spent the last 5 years studying the interaction of families, friends, and people in relationships along with businesses and schools who use technology in their everyday conversations and is still trying to understand why people would rather use technology to talk then to have face-to-face conversations. Furthermore Turkle elaborates that, “Where we learn to make eye contact, to become aware of another person’s posture and tone, to comfort one another and respectfully challenge one another - that empathy and intimacy flourish. In these conversations, we learn who we are.” (Para
8)
Unlike Turkle’s article, in” Blame Society, Not the Screen Time” Danah Boyd claims that children use technology as a way to socialize with their peers because of too much homework in school, and their parents wanting to keep them under a watchful eye, because of the fear of society and the law.
Some may say that the constant use of technology by children is an addiction, but Boyd insists “They aren’t addicted to the computer, they’re addicted to interaction, and being around their friends. Children, especially teenagers, don’t want to only socialize with parents and siblings; they want to play with their peers”. (Para
10)
While I assert that the use of technology has hindered our ability to have attentive meaningful conversations with one another without the compulsion to use technology while in the company of others, Boyd argues that children use technology to connect with one another, and to unwind from the weight of all the school work, and their parent’s overprotectiveness from society.
Although I agree that technology is useful, in the fact that we can keep in touch with our family across town, or around the globe, and use it for instant gratification when we go on vacation and send pictures to our friends and family, I find that Boyd overlooks that person to person interaction is the best way to see firsthand what people’s emotions are. This is important because, when you are on the computer or texting on the phone, you do not experience this, and therefor lose all sense of empathy, and risk writing something that might be misunderstood as being insensitive. To summarize, the use of technology is often times problematic because, it allows us to appear to be connected when in fact, we may be distracted by our need to answer our cell phones, or see what is going on with our social media accounts, while in a conversation. Person to person conversation is the best way to read a person’s emotional state whether they are happy, sad, or angry. To be able to read these emotions is very important because, if someone is asking for advice, you would want them to know that you are emotionally connected and serious about your conversation with them. Ultimately, if people do not stop using technology while in social settings, someday they may miss something real important that happen right in front of them, or they may offend a real good friend that was asking for some real advice from you because they only trust your opinion, and they no longer want to talk to you. Is that the price you want to pay for letting technology run your life?

WORK CITED
Boyd, Danah. “Blame Society, Not the Screen Time”
New York Times 16 July 2015 Para 10 Print
Turkle, Sherry. “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk.”
New York Times 26 September 2015 Para 3 Para 8 Print