How Not to Be Alone - Essay Example

Jonathan Safran Foer’s “How Not to Be Alone” The novel “How not to be alone” written by Jonathan Safran Foer is a short writing that reminds people of the various ways that individuals can engage into in order not to be lonely. The novel narratives various alternatives for people in order to ensure that they do not feel lonely. The main storyline of the novels refutes the intense interactivity of technology that has in the recent years negatively affect communication as well as relationships between people.

The novel emphasizes its argument on Henry David’s warning to not let technology replace their personal or social relationships. The novel asserts that there are so many technologies that have only lead to isolation. It further argues that in the recent past people have only emphasized on making communication through technological platform as the only modes of interaction, hence the feeling of loneliness among individuals only persists. Ultimately, the novel argues people to meeting on a one-on-one basis, or making physical conducts to their family and friends instead of use technological communication platforms to interact.

The author of the novel categorically disagrees with the way people have embraced technological platforms. The words of the writer emphasizes on the shared humanity and the remaining human in the place of emotions as well as connection in the digitally technological world. Communication is painted as a barrier to general interaction of people in the society. The writer asserts that the modern technologies used for communication do not necessarily improve communication and interactivity of people.

He asserts that it is does not solve the problem of loneliness between individuals (Foer 3). The society has generally plugged into state of breaking relationships and a virtue of some individuals being lonely without their prior knowledge. While technology generally improves many aspect of how people communicate, the most important element is the reasoning for communicating is to form bonds with others. There are typically many shared moments that people ignore due to isolation created by the apparently convenient technologies most people commonly leave messages over the phone for their friends as a mode of communication, instead of having a conversation, consequently insinuating lesser chances of creating a friendship bond.

In addition, text messaging has been another vice that destroys the traditional bonding effect of friends and families. With only characters send through a technological device, people commonly fail to establish the full essence of bonding between each other(Foer 5). This means that people will unknowingly remain in lonely conditions without their knowledge, as communication through technological platforms negatively affects bonding of people. Lastly, I think that the argument of Jonathan in his novel are not well justified and further need more research to provide a conclusive understand.

I completely disagree with the views of the author on the basis that technology has negatively affected the relationship and bonding in a social setting. From the ideas presented by the author of the novel show that he did not precisely understand the effect that technological platforms such as mobile telephony and social media networks. It is essential to acknowledge the communication through these technological platforms has on the contrary increased the way people interact. This means that it is issues of loneliness are no longer rampant.

People in the contemporary society can never be lonely since they are usually a call or a text away from their family and friends. It is therefore not correct for the author of this novel to state that technologies have led to isolation. Works CitedFoer, Jonathan. How not to be alone. 2012