Ever since technology began so prominent in the modern world, can anyone remember going outside for more than 30 minutes and not see a cell phone or computer? Probably not, as these pieces of technology have turned out to be so deep-rooted in people’s lives, everyone can leave their home without still being connected. Disconnecting from technology is not only a choice people don’t make for personal reasons, it simply isn’t conducive to a productive life. Many people’s work and social lives wouldn’t be the same without being connected to other people or the internet.
“No Need to Call” by Sherry Turkle is an article written about the relationship people have with technology, and specifically with communicating via technology. How it has affected the way we want to interrelate with people. This being due to changes in social norms when it comes to our way of interacting. The article conveys many viewpoints as well as different opinions on the subject, plus a few pros and cons to show that certain things are not always to be seen as black and white. Technology has its advantages, but even the most tech practicality; devoted people have to admit that it has its disadvantages. Examples are brought up with each point to prove what Turkle is trying to discuss, and the author makes it easy to agree or disagree when each viewpoint is examples and tested. It also discusses whether or not things have changed for the better or worse, and how something as simple as a phone call can have different connotations due to some people seeing actual speaking as a form of more formal way of speaking.
Turkle’s article directly jumps into her topic, begins with an interview of a young high school girl and her thoughts on how, at least between her and her friends, it’s all about emails and text messaging, not phone calls. Phone calls have taken a back seat and texting or emailing is our go-to choice for communication. The girl, Elaine, talks about how frequently she and her friend’s text each other and that it is a comfortable way of speaking. She also makes it a point of mentioning that person, through writing and being able to think about how they want to respond to doing so, can lead to someone being someone they wish they were. A person can expose themselves as more social, or more fluent than they may be. One can portray themselves in a certain way if they’re not expected to respond in real time the way they would naturally, and immediately, choose to speak. Someone can hide individual characteristics and expose only what they want others to know. Being behind a screen can give people a sense of comfort and secrecy that they can’t have face to face, and preferring the texts or emails seems to be a growing trend for both teenagers and adults alike.
Connected to the topic of choosing texting and email over spoken conversation, another big topic that is delved into more is the fact that for many people, phone calls have a new connotation attached to it. Many people, including multiple people that Turkle cross-examined, specified that phone calls feel more urgent, or more important. Emails and text messages seem less formal as you can take your time with them, and reply later at your earliest suitability, so people don’t usually use this them. A phone call must be answered right away; if somebody is calling you, they want an instant response. One interviewee, a man named Randolph, even termed phone calls as tiresome. Emailing and text messaging is so predominant and distracting; it’s so common to see people so engaged with their phones or laptops. The choice of text messaging and email withdraws emotions. Responding to an email can feel like a chore or like you’re only taking care of another task like cleaning. It also results in those around us at times feeling like they’re not getting as much from us as they would in conversation, and that they’re missing out on the emotional connection one can get from looking someone in the eyes and replying in real time. The article discusses these topics and the way people now feel with the new forms of communication, and how it affects their daily lives, and how it may bring people together or push people apart. Turkle herself gives her opinion on it all. While she stayed mostly objective in her article and focused a lot on the interviews, she did mention toward the end how these new forms of communications of their setbacks. She is just trying to get used to the world with the internet and where the norm is for people to use the texting and email medium more so than phone calls or face to face conversations.
I can agree with many of the statements made in this article, statements made by both Turkle and those that she invited for interviews. Phone calls do often feel like they have more of an emotional attachment to them. Emails and text messages are a natural form of communication when it allows you to take a breather, think about your response, especially if the message conveyed to you is of the negative variety. They are people who might not have the time to sit down for a phone call at a moment’s notice, but can easily sit down at a later date when things have calmed down to make their response. But I also want to make a point that we are also ushering in a new era, where cameras and video calling is becoming so much more prevalent, and while this article makes incredible points, it is also becoming outdated.
Works Cited
Turkle, Sherry. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. S.I.: ReadHowYouWant, 2011. Print.
