Technology Plays an Important Role in Our Social Communication

Technology plays an important role in our social communication and works nowadays. Despite the fact that technology has its disadvantages in some cases, which make Sherry Turkle suggests, in her article "The Flight from Conversation", creating "device-free zones" in the house or car so family members communicate without any distractions, we still need to consider more about the opposite aspect of that suggestion. Opposite to Turkle, in my opinion, "device-free zones" is not a desirable suggestion since phones and other devices don't really make too many distractions if people use them in a good manner, people should have their rights reserved about their things and that should be a hard situation for people who find it difficult for everyone around to understand them.

According to Turkle, "We can make our cars "device-free zones". It would help people care more about others and balance their lifestyles when the reality is that technology makes too many distractions. Although I agree with Turkle to a part of that point, I cannot accept her overlook of the advantages of technology that many families have been enjoying, which are extremely helpful nowadays.

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"Device-free zones" would be a hard situation for people who find that difficult for everyone to understand them. We sometimes have something that we would like to talk to others, but we think it would be hard to say, or others would not be on the same side of our opinions. Indeed, a sophomore confides the author that "he wishes he could talk to an artificial intelligence program instead of his dad about dating".

In other words, he thinks that "the A.I would have so much more in its database". That's a common circumstance of most young generation since they have different thoughts from the older one. Their minds say that "No one is listening to me", that the A.I would understand and give them some satisfied solutions for their demands, which they can't talk to the older generation. That leads to results of relying on social networks, like Facebook or Twitter, to seek listeners that can empathize with each other.

People should have their rights of deciding what to do with their own things, which let them "present the self we want to be". According to Turkle, online connections don't really add up to a real conversation. I think that Turkle is mistaken because, in my viewpoint, each person has a way to create a new relationship, or making new conversations. On their ways of texting or e-mailing, they can edit what they want to say to make sure that they use no offense or bad words, they can enjoy the power of technology to make them satisfied (in an allowed limitation). Why do people who live in the U.S have to be ruled to use their phones? Because they are not responsible for what they do like Turkle is arguing in her article? I would say that people should have their rights of choice. To put in another way, if they use their devices badly, they have to solve that problem by themselves. For instance, if students use their phones in classes, they will have bad grades on their quizzes or tests since they don't concentrate on their lectures. If they think online conversations would help them start the conversions easier, just let them go ahead.

Technology doesn't have too many distractions or disadvantages if people can use them in a good manner. As we go to work or outside every day, we can see that people are just nodding their heads and typing, no matter how their surroundings are moving on. Even at home, "families sit together" but are " texting and reading e-mail". We can see people texting during classes and even they're "on dates". Actually, they are choosing their ways of enjoying the advantages of technology without caring about other people. Although they know that would be a bad path, they are still hell-bent on being "wrong", and regretful after then. That's also a particular situation of a 16-year-old boy who relies on texting for almost everything: "Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I'd like to learn how to have a conversation". Why doesn't he say "right now" instead of "someday"? He wants to be in his own "bubble", or a tribe of one. He thinks that would help him but in fact, that makes him more lonely. The community formed by each person like him creates a huge conception in the society that technology is merely making distractions, that the "device-free zones" suggestion is realistic and desirable for everyone.

In my opinion, technology has ensnared people, who are mostly young generation, in its disadvantages, made people use it in an inefficient way that, perhaps, it could be manipulated efficiently. "Device-free zones" suggestion of Sherry Turkle is maybe reasonable nowadays to diminish technology's distractions, but on another aspect, we would admit that people are using them in a bad manner which doesn't make us perceive their advantages. Therefore, "device-free zones" suggestion is not totally realistic and desirable.