The Flight from Conversation - Assignment Example

The Flight from Conversation The contemporary world has exhibited high levels of technological advancements mostly in communication devices that make conversing easier than any other period before. Although this has increased the ability for people to stay connected, it has resulted in many negative effects especially in conversation. This is because connectivity has increased loneliness as more and more people tend to favor connection to conversation. Most researchers maintain that people have never been lonelier than they are in the contemporary world, which is the opposite of the anticipated effect of the social media developers who intended to improve lives. This is because people use social media in schools, offices and even homes and do not wish to be interrupted from reading and replying their e-mail and text messages. I agree with Sherry Turkle’s argument that technology has reduced conversations and increased connections with which people use to communicate more often since it prevents the existence of true and meaningful conversation because people have become addicted to machines and devices. People have become addicted with social media to the point that they have integrated it to their most important activities. For instance, people sit at homes together texting and replying as well as reading e-mail messages that they have received. In addition, in the offices, people have become so busy on their computers chatting with their friends where the office has become very quiet in recent days, as people do not wish to be disturbed (Tukle). This shows how much social media has affected people’s priorities to the point that it has been integrated in day-to-day office work. The situation is similar even for the students. Here, the students wear huge headphones as they chat with their friends on social media while listening to music. Since it is very easy to make friends online, most people have resulted to ignoring the face-to-face conversation for social media due to its ease of use as compared to the difficulties of starting a face-to-face conversation, which is more helpful than the use of social media as a way of conversing. In spite of the fact that some people realize the effect of social media on the physical conversations, they are not willing to change their ways. For instance, as Turkle puts it, some people rely on texting for almost everything but still maintain that they would like to know how to start a conversation although not now. Since social media was made to be a way of enhancing lives, the negative effects, which were not anticipated, are far much difficult to overcome. Even in the office, the effects are the same as a businessman claims that he no longer has workmates in the workplace as most of them are very busy on their e-mails but later admits that he himself is also affected by the same issue (Tukle). This is to show the effects of addiction, which is caused by social media. This strengthens Turkle’s claim that social media affects physical conversation as people engage in social networking. In addition, people have become habituated to a new way of being alone together. This is because, as Turkle maintains, the devices that people carry around are very powerful in a way that they can change not only what people do but also who they are (Tukle). Being alone together can be described as being with family members physically and then being connected elsewhere to other people. People have also become very much acquainted with control in that they want to control where they focus their attention. Turkle explains this as being in a tribe of one. On the other hand, while the web has become broader with connections, it has also become shallower. This is because most of the social media users are living in an isolated world; one that their ancestors could not have imagined and yet people have never been more accessible than they are today. Within the modern world, most people enjoy instant communication unbounded by the limits of time yet, they have never been more detached from one another (Marche). This is because the society has become less actual as people prefer the virtual world more than the real one with respect to conversations and relationships. This implies that the world has become an increasing contradiction in that the happenings are the opposite of the expectations. While people expected a global village, they got an endless freeway of a vast information suburb linked with ever-increasing loneliness. Statistical data showing Facebook usage can also be used to strengthen the claim that social media diminishes meaningful conversations. Statistical data estimates that Facebook users spend approximately 10.5 billion minutes on the Internet every day. These estimates, however, do not include mobile phone usage. In total, the estimate reflects Facebook users spend 20 years every day on the Internet (Laird). This is the time that the users should have used in interacting with other people physically or in offline interaction. On average, an individual in U.S spends 20 minutes each day while chatting with their friends on Facebook. This is a clear indication of the idea that people have abandoned physical interaction allowing social media to dictate their relationships. With close attention to the time spent online, a survey indicates that a significant number of Americans spend more time socializing on social media instead of offline relationships. Specifically, this represents 39% of Americans while 20% of them prefer online socializing to physical conversing. Additionally, 30% are more likely to approach someone new on the Internet than they are in offline life (Laird). This indicates that Facebook and other social media websites that include but not limited to Twitter and YouTube are taking over physical or the normal type of conversations, which are rich with fulfilling experiences. This is because the physical conversation has other advantages that might never be possible on social media that include the warmth of the physical touch and the ability to read someone’s reaction through their facial expressions or tone. In spite of the idea that people are easily connected, to show the negative effect of social media, people have not become happier as compared to the pre social media era. Statistics indicate that people have become less happy although they have increased their levels of conversations through the Internet. This provides a clear indication that social media does not have a positive impact in spite of some scholars claiming that it enhances the quality of life. Most researchers have managed to show otherwise; the quality of life is affected negatively by Facebook and other social media websites. In addition, in the same way that it is easy to meet new people online, it is also easy to lose them as most people who have started online relationships have ended up in break ups and heart breaks. Therefore, happiness has not benefited from engagement in Facebook. In addition, as people become more and more involved in social networking, they have lagged behind in doing other important things such as exercising. The number of overweight and obese people in the U.S is increasing by the day because being lonely is bad for a person’s health. Such people also have a higher chance of having hormonal imbalance and experience memory losses. This implies that happiness has been affected by increase in ease of communication in the contemporary world. This also implies that Turkle’s claim is accurate that true and meaningful conversations, which are good for human health, have been suppressed by Facebook. In conclusion, the contemporary world has improved significantly especially in the way that people communicate. However, in spite of this reality, the opposite of what was anticipated to be realized through social media has taken place. Research indicates the people have never been lonelier than they are although connections and online conversations have increased. A significant number of people prefer starting relationships online and a large number spent much time on the Internet. This has developed a one-person tribe, which is threatening real life conversations that are much healthier as compared to online relationships. Addiction has become prevalent in that even in offices people have incorporated their social media urges into their work, affecting physical interaction since they do not wish to be disturbed. Therefore, in spite of technological improvements, the contemporary world prevents real and meaningful conversations as well as the fostering of healthy relationships through social media. Works Cited Marche, Stephen. "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 02 Apr. 2012. Web. 14 May 2014. . Laird, Sam. "Is Social Media Destroying Real-World Relationships? [INFOGRAPHIC]." Mashable. 15 Jun. 2012. Web. 15 May 2014. . Tukle, Sherry. “The Flight from Conversation.” New York Times. New York Times, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 15 May 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?pagewanted=all&_r=3& Read More