Chapter 14

In this chapter, Sherry Turckle finds a way to tap into teenager’s inner wishes and needs. It’s really sad that children now have to fight for their parent’s attention due to the distraction and constant need to feel connected elsewhere. Children, teenagers, and even young adults growing up in this crazy digital culture are secretly wanting attention from the people they need it from the most, their parents. At times, parents are physically present but not mentally with help from their cell phones and laptops, and this could be even more damaging than not being there at all. It comes across as more of a rejection when a child sees their mom or dad choosing to ignore them. One way parents rationalize being on their cell phones and computers is because their kids are constantly glued to them as well. In my opinion, its almost as if the parents have become the kids and have forgotten how to enjoy the life that is in presently in front of them.

A major reference in the chapter that I loved was the reference to Henry David Thoreau’s Walden poem. In the poem Thoreau leaves society and experiences nature and the beautiful world that surrounds him. People in today’s culture consider digital technology as our present day Walden. Kevin Kelly, a previous editor of Wired, describes the web as having boundaries that are, “unknown, unknowable, and is mysteriously uncountable.” The possibility of constantly being connected leads people to seek a bit of space. This bit of space, in Turckle’s eyes, “could leave room for a child to be a child a bit longer.” A major advantage and privilege of being a child is the fact that adults are somewhat a cushion and shield from the outside world. These joys of childhood are being gradually erased from children growing up in this digital culture because of these technological distractions from real life.

Reading Alone Together has made me thoroughly analyze how much time I, personally, spend on my cell phone and laptop. While reading this book I have already caught myself preferring to converse over a phone call and not through text messages. I have also become more aware of the amount of time I spend on social media and browsing the web. This was a very enjoyable, easy, and beneficial read not limited to any age group.