TED Conversations

Sherry Turkle

TEDCRED 50+
TED Speaker

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Live Q&A with Sherry Turkle: How has digital technology changed the kind of communications you have with your friends, family & co-workers?

This Live conversation with TED speaker Sherry Turkle will open on April 12th, 2pm EDT.

How has digital technology changed the kind of communications you have with your friends, family & co-workers?

Topics: social media
+9
Share:

Closing Statement from Sherry Turkle

This has been a wonderful experience for me. I get to see how many people view my talk, but not what they are thinking. So hearing what you are thinking was great! And it sounds like a lot of people are struggling to balance conversation with connection and actually becoming better at sensing the difference. I’m optimistic. And I like it that people are actively thinking about how to create real spaces at home and work to pay more attention to each other, to really listen to each other. Thank you.

progress indicator

  • Amit Roy

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: If I had to be more specific: what are the main psychological effects of gadgets in classrooms? How does this effect the environment/culture inside a classroom.

  • Fleur Prisen

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: Thank you for being here to talk prof. Turkle.

  • Geoffrey Haynes

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: With the sudden boom in technology and I do mean sudden; in the span of human exsitance digital technology only accounts for a tiny percentage of humen interaction with it. Technology is still an infant when compared to somthing like the wheel.

    I'm certain people are spending more time with there technology then with others (I don't keep my best friend in my front pant pocket) however, tech has made all of my friends more accessible. We might be spending less "face time" with them, yet we are able to stay connected through technology without phyicaly being with them. I'm able to stay connected with my friends from high school easily; 20 years ago it required a great effort.

    I'm 25 so my interaction with others without technology is...limited.

    Thanks for the post, I've enjoyed reading everyones responses.

  • Apple Lynch

    • +1
    Apr 12 2012: It depends on who you communicate with. For friends and co-workers it's getting way easy and punctuate in everything you want to communicate even include making an apology; not with family though especially the family is your parents; they prefer you call and they like to feel your voice especially when you don't see them often. Actually if you don't have time to make a call says something about the relationship you are in.
  • thumb

    Andreas Morey

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: Dear Sherry.

    How will this affect isolated groups of people (like Amish) when confronting the modern man with the life and experience of his social media?

  • Amit Roy

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: Hi Sherry, Wondering: How would you rate the promises and risks of technology in school classrooms!

  • Douglas Arnold

    • +1
    Apr 12 2012: I recently heard that Google has introduced an app that is a traditional Morse Code entry system for smartphones. The dits and dahs can be entered with great speed... but, seriously -- will we wake up one morning and discover actually talking (F2F or telephonically) is the fastest and most expressive form of communications? Inflection, tone, pauses -- all can communicate feeling, support, inclusiveness, disdain...
    • thumb

      Judith Matz 200+

      • 0
      TED TranslatorAssociateLanguage Coordinator
      Apr 12 2012: Oooh, but that sounds like fun! Boys and girls who already wanted to practice their morse skills would have a very effective way to do so! Morse is really useful for lots of things, like for secretly talking to your best friend next to you even though both were just told to stay quiet. :D

  • Douglas Arnold

    • +3
    Apr 12 2012: I would like to poll the group. I have been on Facebook avidly for more than five years. I have seen a consistent trend that many newbies jump in head first, post enthusiastically, interact and exchange for maybe a year. Then, many start to enter a bell curve of participation -- the novelty wears off, the old friends just aren't that interesting, the games are vapid and repetitive... Most lurk or disappear completely.

    Any others notice this trend? Are there data recognizing this bell curve?

    • Mary M. 50+

      • +1
      Apr 12 2012: Douglas, the same thing happened to me......and to many of my friends........and some on here have also eliminated their FB account all together.

      It's like unwrapping toys at Christmas, and after one or two weeks of playing with it the novelty wears off.

      That's why balance is needed, and that is why common sense is too.

      Ms. Turkle presents a very balanced view of technology.

      I used to have a cell phone.....hardly used it. The cell phone company was getting rich off me....I got rid of it 5 years ago, and haven't missed it.

      Great question. I'm afraid many will not be able to reply due to time.........why don't you open a conversation in the Question section and see how many reply there???

      Be Well
    • thumb

      Jay Vidyarthi 100+

      • +1
      TED Attendee
      Apr 12 2012: While I do agree that less people seem to engage avidly, I'd bet those people still use FB to get in touch with certain people or to share pictures or other practical purposes. I feel like they try all the features and then they decide which ones are useful to them.

      For example, FB is my go-to place for sending a message to acquaintances or old friends who I don't directly communicate with regularly.

    • Alan Rominger

      • 0
      Apr 12 2012: I joined Facebook as somewhere around the 10 millionth user (most of those before me did so before my school was included), so I'm one of the older accounts. You would probably classify me as a lurker. I probably post one thing per week and I am very very picky about those. When you see the news feed populated by the same people every time you check it twice a day, you miss the fact that the majority of your friends use it the same way.

      I've seen people complain about posts getting cricket chirps. But yet, when someone lists a new relationships or a new job, I can see 50-100 likes easily. So people are reading, they are definitely reading. The problem is that you're looking at Facebook as a daily tool. 99% of the value of FB is as a weekly tool. Really, if you think about what you want from an extended network (this is what Facebook is), it's probably monthly updates are more optimal.

      Also, like Jay says, there's a lot of activity through messages, but it's invisible to most of us. The perception that people are abandoning FB comes from unreasonable expectations.

  • Samuel Cook

    • +2
    Apr 12 2012: I also find that while digital communication helps us hide from the audible and physical side of the conversation, it reveals a different kind of confrontation. When people can see your words they can judge spelling and ability to express yourself legibly. This has a few impacts. I tend to judge people's intelligence on how well they can spell now, and while it might be inspiring to converse with somebody who can speak with beautiful flow, that doesn't always convert in text. It also has brought to the surface a huge problem with spelling that may not have been addressed on such a large scale in the past, but unfortunately when weaknesses are unearthed they are often justified and glamorized to hide them in plain sight. We are allowing these problems to grow on a large scale in the upcoming generation.

    • Douglas Arnold

      • 0
      Apr 12 2012: Great observation. Voice offers a rich tapestry for interpretation and meaning. My wife knows the words "going to bed?" does not necessarily mean going to sleep.
  • thumb

    Clare Hagan

    • +1
    Apr 12 2012: I think that technology has created more of a barrier along generational lines than along interpersonal lines. My friends and I speak the language of memes. We speak the language of the internet.
    Is that bad or good?
    I have yet to make a judgement.
    My friends and I may know the meaning of YOLO, OMG, and smh; but simply because we understand this language does not mean that we are incapable of speaking with correct grammar. In fact, most people I talk to are likely to unapologetically reprimand a person if they were to end a sentence with a preposition.
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Clare . . . Dear Samuel . . . You guys should talk!

      I personally get confused with too many acronyms, they don't speak to me. I like the flow of language. I don't presume that people who use acronyms don't know grammar, just that they prefer this new economy of connection talk when they are online.
      • thumb

        Clare Hagan

        • 0
        Apr 12 2012: They honestly annoy me. It reminds me too much of 1984, but unfortunately I seem to be an exception.
  • thumb

    Julie Fifer

    • +1
    Apr 12 2012: This conversation is one that I have with my son as he is growing up. He has no phone, iPod with earbuds, and plays outside. He is 11. We are in the car a lot going from activity to activity, and we listen to an iPod for music through the car speakers. We have chosen the songs together, some we both like, some only one of us likes. I wanted him to not need something to occupy himself with in the car. It must be working because in the car, we'd just finished talking about a topic and he tells me, "OK, now I'm going to start thinking about things that I'm not ready to talk about yet, so I need to be thinking my thoughts." LOL - I hope he can keep that up! I do not text or phone much when I'm with him, driving, etc. I want him not to start that, either. I do not look at my phone during talks or other situations where I need to pay attention. I don't want that to be the norm. Maybe it's working...
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Julie . . . this sounds promising!!!! And your son sounds awesome.
      • thumb

        Julie Fifer

        • 0
        Apr 12 2012: Thank you - he never ceases to amaze me, just like all of our children amaze us! By the way, he took notes on your TED talk that spawned this conversation! I do wonder if he will fit in with his peers since he doesn't know the "new way" to communicate/connect! Yet another interesting question since he's not following "the new rules" of connecting! We shall see. Thank you for a great conversation on a topic that apparently has been bothering me, which is probably why I didn't allow him to get "wired" with an iPod, GameBoy, etc. and continue to keep it that way (for as long as I can).

  • Mary M. 50+

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: Ms. Turkle!! What a priviledge!!

    Thank you for your talk and for this conversation.

    Technology is great.....but like everything else, we have to keep it in it's place.

    As parents we are responsible to lead by example.

    My children do not have cell phones, neither do I. Don't need them. I do love the internet, because it is full of ideas, and I, as well as my family use it for learning, communicating with those far away, planning trips, etc.....

    I am a professional, and my friends and co-workers are in awe that I get away with not having a cell phone. But I do. And I don't mind it one bit.

    Maybe in the future my circumstances will change, we'll see.

    In the meantime, I think people with very little manners or consideration for others, will continue to look down while being spoken to live and in person. As parents, we can educate our children. We don't have to do what others do.

    A little common sense sometimes is in order.........common sense is not so common anymore..

    Anyways, great talk..........I noticed that the title was in the form of a question.....because the jury is still out I imagine.

    Be Well Ms. Turkle......say hello to your daughter from my daughter and I.....and PLEASE, don't text her.....LOL
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • +1
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Mary,

      Actually, I have a cell phone. I think that the point is embrace and be vigilant. So I see cell phones in your future and I am not afraid!

      Like you say, common sense and keeping your eye on what is important: your relationships.

  • Andrew Kirschner

    • +2
    Apr 12 2012: I have to agree with Noel. I do see technology as a medium for improved communication. A lot of the comments posted here bring up the idea of a sanctuary separated from the digital age. Do you really feel this is the route we should be taking? You say you're going to place a bucket for people to literally place their tech-gadgets into at the beginning of class because you don't see the utility in "outside information." Yet I wonder whether it is the tool or the person that needs to see change. My father will not allow cell phones out during family meals (unless his phone rings--which is a separate issue) because he feels it impedes on the quality of the experience. As a millennial I strongly feel otherwise. I now focus best being interconnected with all flows of information: news, Twitter, texts, and, yes, engaging face-to-face conversation. Why must we revert back to either: technology or no-technology. It seems to me what needs to be innovated are methods of increasing what most consider quality communication.

    • Deanna Voelker

      • +1
      Apr 12 2012: Andrew, I like being connected as well, but I also practice proper social behaviors in the same way I would if it were a f2f situation. I also have practice "listening skills" and as a result people are more apt to involve themselves into a verbal conversation if they know they will not be interrupted by a phone. Yep. I do believe that people will evolve and appropriate behaviors will come about at some point.

  • Charlene Winchester

    • +1
    Apr 12 2012: Hi Sherry:
    I was thrilled to see your talk. I am excited by the power that these devices hold for family members to understand and be understood - but how do we make it quality not quantity? How best do we create a space that teens will want to tap into alongside of parents?
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • +1
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Charlene, I think the focus should be on the relationship with the teen not the site. I watch Downton Abbey with my daughter. I don't think the point of these compulsive viewing sessions is our passion for early 20th century Britain. I think we want to share something we can talk about. The online world has many, many things for teens and parents to share if their relationships is right. I count Downton Abbey, which we watch on the computer as an "online space."

  • Raphael KAHN

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: The new era brought about by the developing of the computer has dramatically change communications for me and my family. Since my family is overseas and great distance exists to make communication costly. Enter the computer and software like SKYPE and you can talk every day with a friend or relative. With Facebook you can share recipes picture, video conferencing, sharing a story or article. It has made my life easier. Of course I left out the smartphone which has accelerated the use of this new technology.
  • thumb

    Thom Chittom

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: My verbal self can be quite a bit different than my textual self, and I'm sure others feel the same way. In that sense, digital technology allows for an exploration of and a sharing of a larger orbit of the self than would be otherwise possible. One wonders how our understanding of historical people might be altered if they'd had the digital resources that we now enjoy.

  • Kieran Dyer

    • +1
    Apr 12 2012: Hi Sherry, I have just watched your talk, I do believe there is a definitive movement away from face to face conversation to just a connection, I too am one of those people who have embraced technology and now I would rather text and email rather than converse. As an architectural student writing a masters’ dissertation at the moment and I am particularly interested in how digital technologies are having an impact on architecture and our built environment. I am interested to understand how this is affecting society, how it’s changing our interactions, I feel it offers many a deeper perception of freedom. I love the idea of sacred spaces you talk about, before listening to your view I believed our public spaces within cities should embrace digital technologies to be “fully connected” but now I am left wondering if we actually require sacred spaces within cities to encourage face to face conversations?
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Kieran . . . I actually wrote a book on your topic. Check out Simulation and its Discontents! I write a bit about the results in Alone Together. Architects and simulation is one of my favorite themes.

    • Mary M. 50+

      • 0
      Apr 12 2012: Kieran, lots of people live balanced lives......make an effort to have more face to face.....please!

  • Sajjaad Loothfaully

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: New technologies created vocabulary deficient, socially handicapped and poor handwriting zombies.

  • Clayton Papillon

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: Sherry, this conversation has answered a few questions I had after I watched your talk. However, you mentioned in your talk to take more time for yourself and have more face-to-face conversations/interactions. For the most part technology has allowed us to take more time for ourselves because you can respond to a question/text/email instantly. If we were to always engage face-to-face (like we used too) we would lose a lot of valuble time to complete other tasks and have more face-to-face conversations with those we adore.
    Also, your talk seemed to pin technology and communication in a negative light while ignoring the brilliance of it. As we have realized in the last few years more people in this world actually have a voice now because of the way technology allows us to communicate. Information through social media has the power to change the world. Through this realization I find that sometimes I have more in common with a person in South America then I do with my own neighbour, among other things.
    Historically speaking, communication has limited the way civilizations interact, do business, and develop. Not to mention it has only served those who can communicate or are listened too. We are now living in a world interconnected by social media and although there might be small negative impacts, it surely brings a large positive light to our global civilization.
    Thank you for your conversation! :)
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Clayton,

      I think you misunderstand me. I am very positive. But I think when we ignore what hasn't gone right, we do so at our peril.

      That is my position. So, I honor what has gone brilliantly! But some things are not going so well. And I don't want us to lose sift of them. I don't want it to be an either/or thing.

      • Clayton Papillon

        • 0
        Apr 12 2012: Sherry, thank you for your response.

        I may have misunderstood your message. I have no doubt your positive and I personally think both sides need to be addressed equally.

        Thank you for clarifying.

  • Fleur Prisen

    • +1
    Apr 12 2012: Hi all, joining in a bit late. Speaking of how we communicate differently online, I find the format of this talk is a bit of a barrier. Many voices but no real oversight of who is in the conversation and where it is going... Can someone summarize?
  • thumb

    Andreas Morey

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: This message feels wierd writing knowing I have full controll of what it contains. Simple, yet there. Not really...

    I hurreled to my phone and facebook to share the talk you gave on being "connected, but alone?". This layered feeling reminded me of a quote from Waking Life about "The holy moment". Right now, with my self, I'm having the holy moment of a new era. An illusion to share with non other than my self.

    Is the holy moment lost alone, or did it pass on to my friends when I posted the Ted Talk?

    I would be glad to hear your oppinion on this question.

    Andreas.
  • thumb

    Chung Truong Thanh 50+

    • 0
    TED Translator
    Apr 12 2012: I communicate to my colleagues (in the same room) almost via IM and email, After listen to your talk, I'm trying to change that. Not too hard, actually. Thanks.
  • thumb

    Thom Chittom

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: Also, I wonder about the role that ever-moving countdown clock is playing on this conversation. Isn't it an example of technology killing, rather than promoting communication? TED limits this conversation to one hour, for practical reasons and because it makes for good marketing. But cyberspace holds time very loosely. Couldn't Ms. Turkle have been asked to give 15 minutes a day for seven days instead of one hour on one day? Does the clock shut down every introvert working to keep up with the conversation?
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Thom,

      Actually, I am kind of into this. And I think it's nice to have the cross-talk and see what different people's responses evoke in others. . . .

  • Kelli Murphy

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: I am an intelligent, attractive, alpha female, dreamer with an interesting 27 behind me. This makes friendships a difficult thing to maintain in person. Most men want it to go somewhere, most women feel threatened. As a result I am more of a homebody. My longest friendships (with men and women) have been maintained through mail, emails and social media (namely Facebook, once I jumped on that band wagon). I have made incredibly intelligent friends from around the world that intellectually stimulate me on a daily basis through FB, and I couldn't be more grateful for it.

    I am half way through 'Alone Together' and I recommend it to every one I talk to. I am grateful for your commentary on relationships throughout the book. The point that we use tech to hide from each other out of fear, and a consequence of that is stunting our growth. We have spent the last 20 years creating a society of protection and safety rails, and all this does is hurt us more. I feel your research on our interactions with tech and social media is an amazing meter of that overall experiment.
    It kills me reading the anecdotes with children, particularly those whose broken homes and/or loneliness shine through in their interactions with robots. They yell volumes to me about our society and how we need physical communities now more than ever.
    I feel your book is not only a study into how we interact with tech, and how it's changing us, but I also see it as a plea to be thankful for the messy. Be thankful for the chaos. It's the downs that make us appreciate the ups. 'Alone Together' has encouraged me to embrace those relationships I was surviving, and appreciate the chaos of people more.
    I could never thank you or praise you enough for writing it and my friends and I look forward to any future works.
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Kelli . . . You point out that FB has its place and I agree. My point is never to put it down but simply to put it in its place.
  • thumb

    Thom Chittom

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: I get rather Hobbesian when it comes to discussions of the value of online communications. Yes, as many have pointed out, there are innumerable benefits to it--most directly the bringing of what used to be tertiary or even lost relationships in to a tighter orbit, and therefore generating community to a greater degree. But you would think that the privacy of sacred spaces and face-to-face communications would simultaneously increase. Judging by the number of couples texting silently in expensive restaurants, this is not happening. Therefore, with Hobbes, one is left to wonder if technology is not becoming a way of keeping the Other at a distance, of preserving the self against violence.

  • Dennis Sisterson

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: Hi Sherry
    As we've all observed, most social networking chatter seems to consist of narcissistic triviality. The vast wealth of human knowledge and experience that is suddenly easily available and which could be accessed, absorbed and shared is neglected in favour of lightweight chatter. Do you think this is a result of the nature of the medium, or a symptom of something in our culture that existed before social media and exists independently of it today? If our culture valued learning more than it does, would we be taking better advantage of this opportunity, or does the medium itself tend to lead us down this path?

    • Fleur Prisen

      • 0
      Apr 12 2012: Interesting point... We do not value learning enough... You mean informal learning, right? Lots of kids do not realize that they are actually learning things throug their interactions in social media and unconsciously are in pursuit of certain knowledges. We need to teach them how to do this better and maybe raise some more awareness of the opportunities that are there and how to navigate those

      • Dennis Sisterson

        • +1
        Apr 12 2012: Informal learning, yes. I'm still staggered by how the whole experience of wondering about some random fact for years, because the answer to a question you had was never readily available, has just gone. If you wonder about something now you can just Google it... assuming it's a fairly simple question of course!
  • thumb

    Tammy Plunkett

    • +2
    Apr 12 2012: I am honored to get a chance to chat with you! Your talk and body of work is the soul of the company I am part of (BusyWoman Productions). We, like you, believe that we can't let technology divide the family into "users" on different devices, in different rooms of the home. We feel the need to use the technology as a tool to reunite us.

    Technology has been bitter sweet in my home. The good is that I now get a quick hello and check-in from all my family members through-out the day, as opposed to waiting until they are back from home or work 12 hours later. The bad is that everyone has a device to keep their attention busy in the evenings instead of us all coming together... like around a radio drama show in the days of old.

    We need to make a conscious effort to not get distracted and to find each other again. To be reminded of our family values and who we are as a team. Let's find a solution to using technology to better our families.
    Thank you so much for your research and books!
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Tammy . . . How nice to hear from you. And how nice to hear that my work is helpful. I love the way you describe the two sides of where we are. We hear from each other more, we have constant check ins. But instead of a family hearth, we are, as I've put it, "alone together." It's hard to assess the trade off. Right now, I'm feeling the loss of the hearth more than I need to know where everyone in my life is all the time.
      • thumb

        Tammy Plunkett

        • 0
        Apr 12 2012: I think I feel that loss too, especially when I am trying to teach my children to follow our family values as opposed to the media's values. I am working hard at making a technology hearth that will attract my kids and husband so that we can all be together...and not alone :)

        Have you found that families can learn to relate using a form of technology?

  • Douglas Arnold

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: Sherry: how has digital communications redefined 'relationship' I am 60; I have strong friendships and colleagues that range from 80 to 25. Each has a unique concept of how our relationship grows or diminishes by the channels we use. Some never want to talk or meet; most are OK with email or Facebook. When I was 20 you had a hardwired phone, wrote a letter or met face to face. Now there are so many competing channels... Your thoughts?
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • +1
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Douglas . . . I think that people have many more choices in how they define relationship. Just because FB calls something a "friend" doesn't mean that a FB friend really is one. That definition remains with you. So I think the point is not to give technology powers that it doesn't deserve. And to keep that in mind, even when it's hard.

      • Douglas Arnold

        • 0
        Apr 12 2012: Agreed. But the other person in the dyad may have a more complicated technology lifestyle. I want the relationship, I want to be genuine to my own needs, but I often have to go from Facebook to Twitter to Google+. This is the complex competition that is making things challenging -- particularly when wanting to connect person A with colleague C. I feel as if I need a separate device for each conduit.
  • thumb

    Judith Matz 200+

    • 0
    TED TranslatorAssociateLanguage Coordinator
    Apr 12 2012: I find it interesting how online and offline persona can be so different that I cannot deal with some of my offline friends online (maybe because they spam me with game requests on Facebook, but mostly because they have a way of writing that I interpret in a way or that sounds so odd that I take offense when reading it). Or the other way round - I had an online friend years ago and his dialect is so strange that I have to resort to written language to understand him.

    And on the same line, it also helps when talking to friends that speak a different language and have a strong accent - both sides have more time to parse what the person said and nobody has to feel ashamed for mispronouncing things. This works well with some of my international coworkers, and/or also friends.
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Judith,

      When we go online, it is often the case that we experiment with identity -- online life can be a kind of "identity workshop." This is one of they things that first fascinated me about the online world. We can play with identity and bring what we learn to live better and fuller lives in the real -- at least hopefully.

      But one thing that can happen is that people sometimes create an idealized self in the virtual and they lose track of themselves. Their online life can become alienating not helpful. This is of course different for different people and can even change over time.

      The story you tell of being able to talk online with people of different nationalities is of course very moving . . . one of the positive uses of messaging rather than talking, I suppose!
      • thumb

        Judith Matz 200+

        • 0
        TED TranslatorAssociateLanguage Coordinator
        Apr 12 2012: Hello Sherry! Thanks for the reply!

        I agree this can be very moving, but even those people would probably prefer a real life conversation. After having had so and so many online discussions, arguments, debates, brainstorming sessions or whatever, for certain types of conversation, nothing beats seeing the reaction in people's faces.

        It's sad how it is hard to get those reactions though because people are withdrawing, since faking a communication is so much easier than actually having one, it doesn't involve, well, "involvement". You can just close the tab. Especially when it comes to something that goes further than exchanging facts, actually debating, having insights, inspiring each other, and speaking to people's hearts I suppose. Thanks for your talk by the way, I much enjoyed it and sent it to all my friends. :)

  • paul valach

    • 0
    Apr 12 2012: I need to catch this tak, but all this reminds of when I was at the dinner table there was no TV allowed, no radio on, just eat and conversation. Even then it was a lot more of just eat. Today it seems like we can't just sit and talk to one another, or run a meeting, or be anywhere without someone checking their phones, ipads..whatever device they have with them. Kinda sad there is all this "importance".
    • thumb

      Sherry Turkle 50+

      • 0
      TED Speaker
      Apr 12 2012: Dear Paul . . . Yes, I think my talk would appeal. Lots of examples of people "checking out" just at the point when they most need to talk! At dinner, at meetings, in classes . . .
Load more comments…