In her Ted Talk, “Connected but Alone”, Sherry Turtle discusses the ideas behind technological advancements and its affect on human connection. I found this to be a very interesting subject and I agree with most of her views. Social media, such as Facebook, became popular when I was in middle school so it is something that I have been surrounded by for a majority of my life. In this time I have been able to see its ups and downs and experience them first hand. One of my best friends deleted her Facebook in ninth grade because she was scared of the power of the internet. We’re now 22 and she still doesn’t have any form of social media, and I’m kind of jealous of her. Yet, at the same time I really appreciate aspects of social media that let me stay connected with my friends that live across the world. I personally have Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The issue with I find with these sites is that most people post things just for attention or likes. I’ve even found myself deleting a picture if it only gets a few likes, and kind of hating myself after the fact for caring so much. I’ve noticed that when I’m out in public and I’m waiting for somebody, or I’m simply just alone, that I’ll be on my phone, doing who knows what, solely for the purpose of not seeming alone to the strangers around me. It’s as if reading somebody’s status update somehow makes me feel like I’m talking to them, which I feel is the meaning behind being connected but alone.
Check out the Together but Alone video here!
