So we just began reading this book called “Alone Together,” by Sherry Turkle. I don’t believe I have every truly enjoyed reading something so much for a class. Its not difficult to understand and extremely interesting to see how much the internet and constant so called need to be connected to the internet affects our everyday lives.

In a world filled with unlimited possibilities, thanks to technology, more and more people are becoming consumed with their lives “online.” There is a constant need to be connected to the Internet at all times whether it be for email, social media, or even virtual online worlds. With mobile devices, there is the capability of being online, connected, and available to people at all times. People are able to drift in and out of the real world and even have multiple worlds to be a part of. They can be with you physically but also be somewhere else as well at the same time. The book refers to this in the sense that “we have moved from multitasking to multilifing.”

Turkle mentions this interesting fact that “mobile technology has made each of us ‘pauseable.’” Our face-to-face interactions are routinely interrupted by phone calls and text messages and it has quickly become a norm in society. I caught myself doing this multiple times today whether it be answering a phone call during a conversation or even glancing at my phone for a text message.

Another topic that caught my attention was when Turkle was discussing a trip to Paris she took with her daughter. She noticed how often her daughter was on her phone and discussing things from back home. Her daughter was unable to embrace the French culture and be mentally present versus holding on to her culture at home. Turkle says, “On vacation, one vacates a place, not a set of responsibilities.” She questions whether people can leave their home behind while traveling instead of bring it all over the world. This is harder said than done. Thinking back on my recent vacations I always bring my laptop and, of course, my cell phone to stay connected with my friends and keep up to date with stuff going on at home. It is becoming more and more easy to find access to Internet connection. An example of this would be Wi-Fi now being offered in airplanes thousands of feet in the air.  

In world that is obsessed with being “online,” its almost impossible to be successful without immediate access to your email, text messages, and even social media sites. People’s expectations are becoming extremely high for fast responses to their messages. “Technology sets expectations about speed,” which leaves little time for thorough, thought out solutions or answers to issues discussed in the initial message. So while people are obtaining quick responses they are giving up possible better solutions that could be determined with more time to think properly about a given situation. They settle for speed and lack quality of a response.