IndexIntroductionFear of conversation in the digital worldThe need for digital omnipresenceConclusionReferencesIntroduction“Connected, but alone?” is an inspiring talk given by Sherry Turkle, a distinguished psychologist, during her 2012 TED Talk. After a gap of 16 years since her first TED Talk in 1996, Turkle revisits the topic of technology's impact on contemporary communication patterns . Through his talk, Turkle delves into the preference for asynchronous digital communication over real-time interaction and explores the phenomenon of replacing genuine dialogue with superficial connections. He points out that short online exchanges lack the depth and authenticity inherent in face-to-face conversations, leaving people with an incomplete understanding of their conversation partners. The meaning of "Connected, but Alone?" by Turkle goes beyond the presentation itself, as it serves as an urgent invitation to reflect on the question, “Who am I in this digital world?” This introspective question encapsulates the central themes of the speech: the apprehensions relating to direct interaction, the incessant search for virtual omnipresence and the profound problem of loneliness exacerbated by technology. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Fear of Conversation in the Digital WorldAlthough technology has greatly contributed to making communication more efficient, numerous people prefer communication through technology for the reason that they fear an actual conversation. There are various reasons for this situation, as stated by Dr. Victoria LeBlanc, a therapist and family counselor, such as the inability to express thoughts into words, fear of judgment, and fear of rejection. As Turkle discussed, unlike face-to-face conversation, we can choose and think about the words we will speak and are given the power to present ourselves the way we want. Online communication simply gives us dominance and control over the situation with the words we choose. Furthermore, gestures and facial expressions play an important role in a conversation since it is considered a non-verbal communication that can completely influence the message sent to the recipient. Face to face conversations keep this mind unlike an online interaction where a raw message is presented and the interpretation is based solely on the recipient. This is where the misunderstanding happens. In a chat, for example, a message can be misinterpreted by the recipient since there are no gestures and facial expressions to rely on. However, in the digital world, we can edit the raw messages we present into the way we want them to be presented. While some reasons to fear a conversation are valid, people need to wake up and learn how to overcome these fears and turn them into their strengths as a real conversation is still the best way to present ideas and emotions with a clearer understanding on the part of the receiver . Even though digital communication is positive, everyone is still called upon to participate in real conversations for the better. The need for digital omnipresence Furthermore, even if people don't completely close the doors to face-to-face conversations, they won't get rid of their cell phones during the meeting. People nowadays are not satisfied with being in one place or event, rather they want to be connected everywhere, everywhere. This circumstance is what Turkle called "Alone Together" where people strangely want to be together, but also elsewhere. ThePeople always want to relate to what they see in the digital world and not being able to satisfy that need leads them to feel like they're missing out. (Abel et al., 2016) In a class reunion, for example, participants are so excited to meet their friends they haven't seen for a long time, but in the event itself, they witness people periodically looking at their cell phones to the latest news or even for simple memes. Everyone wants to be everywhere. Being omnipresent is something mortals would like to do but are unable to do. Omnipresence leads a person to be able to connect to everything humans desire. But since being physically omnipresent is impossible for humans, we do it in the digital world. This issue is evident everywhere, at parties or formal gatherings, heads are lowered and looking at their phones. The idea of ​​being digitally omnipresent can sometimes be useful for our self-esteem, but in the long run we will realize that it slowly distances us from reality. As Turkle says, “We sacrifice conversation for mere connection.” It's disheartening to think that we worry about missing out on social media but don't worry when we miss out on the real world. This problem, if not resolved, leads us to settle for social media connections which can then lead to the biggest problem, loneliness. Contrary to what other people who use social media to escape the reality of being alone say, heavy use of social media and digital devices leads to loneliness. People mistakenly consider loneliness as loneliness. However, the Collins English Dictionary defines loneliness as the state of being unhappy because you have no one to talk to. This means that simply being alone does not equal loneliness. As Turkle said, it seems like "being alone is a problem to be solved", well, actually, being alone is part of life. “The many hours young adults now spend in front of screens replace time spent in face-to-face interactions.” (Yavich, et al., 2019). People are so afraid of being alone that they always turn to their social media devices to fill their state of loneliness. We always try to escape from the reality that there are times when we will be alone and try to solve it by immersing ourselves in the virtual world. Unfortunately, a study from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania suggests that teens who use social media heavily are 3 times more likely to feel socially isolated. While social media can help ease our loneliness for a while, in the long run it only makes it subtly worse. I can personally testify to this because I have been a victim of it. I tried to immerse myself in social media, trying to gain validation from others to feel welcomed. It was helpful to me at first, but I soon realized that it wasn't good for me and only led to deeper loneliness. Online connections cannot completely replace a real companion. A reaction on Facebook will never be better than a deep conversation with a genuine hug. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion “Connected, but Alone?” by Sherry Turkle. it is a reminder to everyone that the state of communication in our time is not improving. Communication with the use of technology has helped us a lot in many ways, but the way we use it now has affected us negatively. People fear face-to-face conversation for various reasons and ignore the benefits it brings. Well, in fact, the object of our fear should be the consequences we might face if.2017.01.010