Week 2
Topic One: Social Media
The Ted talk, Connected, but alone?, given by Sherry Turkle, is very insightful. I enjoyed this video due to the fact it brings up a heavy topic that is very present, in not only my life but everyone around me. One statement that stuck out most to me was when Turkle stated how we are letting social media take us places we don’t want to go. She talks about how with these networks we are able to customize are life, being present when we want and when it interest us. When hanging out with friends we aren't actually hanging out, its being together but not being together because we are so connected to our phones.
ABC News, The New York Times, and Donald Trump are three pages that I follow on Twitter. I normally use social media as a chance to connect with friends and family, but I chose to follow these pages for a few reasons. I chose to follow ABC News and The New York Times, due to the fact these organizations are my main sources of information when it comes to the news. I chose to follow Donald Trump simply because he is the president of the United States, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to see what he is posting. Scrolling through Twitter, or any social media outlet, can often feel like one negative story after the other, but this morning ABC News tweeted a story that brought a smile to my face. Listed below is the tweet.
This is the best tweet I have seen in a while and it made me want to retweet because of the positive story. Although there are serious issues taking place in our world, I think it is important to stop and take a moment to appreciate the good things.
Although I believe social media has given many people a chance to have a voice, I dont think social media has enhanced my ability to take action or participate in democracy, government or other activities. I actually tend to avoid any sort of political content when using my accounts. I feel as if social media has made me want to distance myself from these topics even more. One reason I avoid posting or sharing anything regarding these topics is due to the fact I don't believe the information presented is always honest and true. An article titled, Study: Bots have turned Twitter into a powerful political disinformation platform, by Chris O’Brien, discusses how a new study sheds light on how Twitter can be hijacked by bots to spread political disinformation during election campaigns. This article shows how often the information we see is not always factual. I feel as if social media has gave many people a voice, but Im just not one of them.
Topic Two: The Internet
The Ted talk, Connected, but alone?, given by Sherry Turkle, is very insightful. I enjoyed this video due to the fact it brings up a heavy topic that is very present, in not only my life but everyone around me. One statement that stuck out most to me was when Turkle stated how we are letting social media take us places we don’t want to go. She talks about how with these networks we are able to customize are life, being present when we want and when it interest us. When hanging out with friends we aren't actually hanging out, its being together but not being together because we are so connected to our phones.
This idea of being connected but alone is something that I have been thinking about for a while now. I find myself treating my phone as a life line and I often miss out on opportunities because of it. After adding up the time spent on each app on my phone, I realized I spend an average of 20 hours a week on my phone. That’s almost a full day spent staring at screen missing out on real life happening right in front of me. Most of this time is spent on social media rather than games. I only have one game on my phone, and that is Candy Crush. I guess I use this game as a way to unplug from the things around me, I'm not sure what I think unplugging from since I am always on my phone. Social media has provided a sense of community for me as the people I talk to on their are not people I see everyday. I am able to feel like I belong to a group of people without actually being face to face. These resources do allow me to have control my connection with others, but I think it is important to step back and look at how it is impacting me.
Although I do spend a lot of time spent on my phone, I do think it is important to disconnect for a while. My family and I have reclaimed the dinner table as a phone free zone to allow us to engage in actual conversation. My boyfriend and I have also established phone free times when we are together. According to a study conducted by Pew Research, “25% of cell phone owners in a marriage or partnership have felt their spouse or partner was distracted by their cell phone when they were together.” Phones and social media have the power to connect us to many things but also isolate from what's happening around us. As technology advances, I believe we as a society need to discuss how its connecting us, yet also making us feel alone.
That tweet really does melt your heart! It's absolutely lovely! Sherry Turkle's TedTalks was really good, I am in full agreement with you. It really brought to light some of the dangers we face as a society and media. I also like what she said about bringing balance to ones life with making person to person connections and being in the moment. It's so very true how people will use social media as an escape. Really enjoyed your blog.
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