Connected, but alone? | Sherry Turkle 

Who else is here because your professor told you to watch it?

Purposive communication kaway kaway jannnn😂😂😁 *Thankyousalike*:)

00:15 Technology is changing who we are 02:54 We are getting used to a new way of being alone together 05:26 Technology is sacrificing conversation for connection 07:55 Connecting in sips doesn't work for real conversation 10:20 We expect more from technology and less from each other. 12:54 Connection is shaping a new way of being. 15:07 Develop a more self-aware relationship with technology 17:12 Technology can lead us back to our real lives

2024 student... im glad my professor told me to watch this. i think more and more people need to watch it, especially today. i've been sitting on this topic, conflicted, after watching how superficial each generation has become through social media and technology since the pandemic.

2019 students, are you here because your professor told you to watch it?

2021 students, who's here because your professor told you to watch it?

2020 students who’s here because your professor told you to watch it?

Our professor told us to watch this, but now I am as just thankful that I get to hear what she has to say. Although years have passed it is still so relevant. Wholesome truth.

I’m a nursing student and I am here to do a reflection paper for our purposive communication subject hahahah kaway kaway naman sa mga future RN dyan

I can't believe it, this was published in 2012. It's even more evident now. Those pictures of her daughters, that's exactly what my family (grandmother, sister, cousin, mother, all of them but my grandpa, who was watching TV alone) looked like on Christmas day. Christmas, man. If there is a business model that would jujitsu this isolating trend into something beneficial for humanity, I'll totally pursue it for the long haul.

2020 Pandemic Students. Lemme guess you'll watch it and do a reaction paper to it?

I always come back to this, and every time I do, I learn something new. The reason I came back to it this time is ChatGPT, and even back then, Dr. Turkle was way ahead of her time. A decade later and this talk is more relevant than ever. This is one of the most profound talks I have ever seen.

"I would've listened to this argument and taken it to heart, but 19 minutes is a long time, and I kept getting distracted by text messages and the urge to check Facebook."

HELLO SA MGA ASSIGNMENT TO SA PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION ❤️

It is year 2022 now, and I am here watching this video because my professor told us to watch this for our subject purposive communication. It's worth to watch and I've learned a lot.

This is the Ted talk where I really felt her words. It has been almost 10 years now, and it's getting more noticeable within communities, friends, and families. I had felt the effects of technology when I was 8 years old (2013) until now. Almost every kid, including me, goes outside their homes to meet and play with other kids. Then, a computer shop first arrived near us, and that's the start of where kids stopped meeting and playing with each other and playing computer games instead. The effects of technology even became louder around 2015-2016 when people started to have mobile phones. In my place, they were not as popular before because Nokia basically dominated here and probably the entire Philippines until around 2015-2016. My mother, my 7-year-old sister, and I often use phones every day, but I still get the chance to communicate with my little sister because she's more active, talkative, and relatable. My mother, on the other hand, is not really relatable because she's in a different generation, but we still communicate with each other.

I wanted to post a tweet that read "we trust technology more than we trust each other" and then I realized that in doing so I would be the whole point of this video...

Imagine, 919k students graduated college because of this.

my professor told me to watch this, and I am so grateful that she shares this meaningful talk. thank you so much!

She gave this talk in 2012 and 8 years later till now in 2020, this is still so true for the message that should go viral to create a world not gonna be like "be together but not really be with each other"

I was told to watch this by my Instructor and make a reaction paper... How 'bout you ?

"If we don't teach our children to be alone, they will only know how to be lonely." As part of the "web generation" this is something that rings true. None of the ADHD, inability to read books, all that crap really has been exemplified in myself nor others I know, but this factor right here is actually pretty important.

So totally agree with her....this constant need to keep checking the phone and reacting to comments, posts, texts is overwhelming. The social network on digital platforms isn’t real.....we are fooled into believing that those connections are real friends because of bits of random communication which make us feel good. But when u really need someone in life these connections are the last....only people with whom u have a genuine emotional bond and who u meet on a regular basis show up.

10 years since this talk and it is still more relevant than ever! Thanks Sherry Turkle, be blessed!

My professor told us to watch this before we had an activity, im glad i have to watch this video because it really shape what were doing right now and answers so many questions to what im curious about in having conversation and connection. It makes me realizw how important having our phones turned off and talking to the people around us personally. Thank you for this!!

This is one of the most profound talks, the best speeches I've ever heard. She vocalizes everything I've wanted to say but didn't know how, she has prompted me to think deeply about my life and how I am living it. Thank you.

Actually looking for the comments to get some ideas so I won't watch the whole entire ted talk but I found out we all have the same problems 2020

I agree with Sherry Turkle about what technology avoiding us away from a real-life conversation, even though technology gives us an easier way to do things. I also agree that nowadays people are afraid of real-life conversation because people don't listen to what you have to say, but online there will always be someone listening. For me, i definitely agree that even though technology is the reason why we as people are becoming isolated, technology can also be the one to bring us back to what we are meant to be.

I actually had a theory and it kinda goes like this, You know how touch is such an important part of developing relationships and interacting and it connects us. Think about it you touch your wife, girlfriend,boyfriend mom, dad, kids etc. You hug them, shake their hands, smack them on the head, whatever it is it involved one of the 7 senses which is TOUCH. Well think about what is the thing you touch the most now, its probably your cell phone that sense of touch is so important and the majority of the time now its our phones that we are touching. We are so desensitized from reality and human interactions because the thing we touch the most is our phones. So if you stop touching your phone so much you are resensitize yourself. Put the volume up on loud and leave it one your nightstand and only pick it up when it rings. Put your phone in your glove compartment when you drive for example start small and build yourself up to a point when you can leave your house without your phone. Most of us don't have such an important job or lifestyle where we need to constantly be on our phones.

It's true that when we feel alone we direct our attention to this devices to not feel alone but the truth is we're still alone with or without this devices so I agree that we must find solitude so that we can find and know more about ourselves because I've been there and I would like to share that being alone is not completely being lonely its just that we need time for our self. Beautiful speech by the way, hope today's generation would see this.

To those students who came here because your professors told you to. Don't complain about having to watch this video. Be grateful because it offers a lesson that is very rare nowadays. It's not just about making a reaction paper. It's about learning the sad truth of the reality we are living today.

This talk was made in 2012, and now in 2017, I have to say the situation is only getting worse.

She was basically saying that the wrong use of technology is like drugs

Purposive communication😁 like mo Kung nandto k pra sa subject na to haha

I'm here because of PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION subject and our prof. suggested us to watch. I love the message 💗

Thanks so much, Sherry Turkle! This is one of the most truthful presentations on the virtual world and this resonates so much with me. I have encountered the illusionary nature of the virtual world very painfully and I work as a Nanny with 4 boys, one of them is just 1 year old. When he sees his father or mother with a mobile phone or i-pad, he becomes crazy and begins to cry, for wanting to hold it and be part of it. I've decided to leave this pump and circumstance and live 3D with real folks.

I agree with Sherry Turkle that we are smitten with technology. Indeed, our lives have benefitted and become more convenient with technology. However, we are sacrificing our real-life conversations for virtual connectedness. I can relate to some of her examples given. At times, I complain that I do not get attention from my parents when they are replying emails on their phones. Yet, I subconsciously text at the dinner table when my whole family is present. This is the effect where we want to “customize” our lives by being together but somewhere else at the same time. We have made it seem like there is less awkwardness online compared to real conversations. By believing that nobody is listening and expecting more from technology than people, we go to technology for help. I have some friends who express their feelings on their blogs and Twitter instead of sharing them with family and friends. This shows how reliant we are on the internet. We are getting more dependent on technology for companionship, and at the same time, forgetting about the real relationships. There is a need to learn to strike a balance between our lives and technology. (195 words, Jamel Chan, CMM/TB02)

This is about how technology is taking over our lives. Sherry express her thoughts about how technology has a big influence on our social interaction. I agree with what Sherry Turkle said, that there is also a negative impact of being so connected to technology instead of spending time together with your family or friends all are being on their cellphone devices. We have become so addicted to it, that sometimes we weren't able to develop our face to face relations.

For this video, I've realized that it is more important to have a conversation with friends, having face to face classes and spending time with love ones than exposing to social medias account such as Facebook, Twitter and other social medias platforms. Well, in social media specifically Facebook and Twitter, there are a lot of toxicity. You see a lot of perfectionist, judgements and criticism. However, it also useful in other hand for us, especially in this time of pandemic. We really need social media in order to disseminate information. I think the only thing we need to do is use it in a good purpose and use in a good communication.

Absolutely brilliant synopsis of the social effect of technology. I highly recommend listening to what she has to say and sharing it with others. Fundamental social skills and development are being impacted by our substitution of technology for face-to-face interactions.

Thank you Sherry. You have put clearly in words a pain that many of us share!

Glad I stumbled upon this gem... I agree with most of what she says. However, I've never met an introvert who loathes alone time. I enjoy social connection but in moderation with folks I feel safe enough to trust. Most folks I've met have much disappointed me. Enough to become a selectively extroverted extreme introvert. I enjoy authentic social connections with my familiars + strangers but unlimited access to me is a privilege.

Yes I came here because I required to do so. However, I'm grateful that someone recommends me this channel for this haven is filled with lessons. Now I'm a subscriber!

Man, that hit me hard. What a reality check, which was much needed for me, and probably for many other people.

this has to be one of the best TED talks that i have ever witnessed. I do hope more of this type will come.

Being alone but connected is definitely mostly because of technology, but I think it's also our lifestyles. We're too busy working and when we're off work, who has the energy to really connect or meet new people? Also, who has the time and money to be fit and look good? It's creepy to me to see so many people posting photos of themselves through filters where their eyes are enlarged and their skin is softened to make themselves look younger and more beautiful. But it's become the norm and we're identifying more and more with these 'avatars' (profiles) than we are with ourselves and our community. I agree with Turkle, we have to learn how to love our lives now, we have to talk to ourselves so that we now how to do that. I think so many people are unfulfilled in this modern world.

I feel like this talk is getting more relevant everyday. We have truly lost our ways in social connection. I DON'T WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE ONLINE

I'm here because of our subject of Purposive Communication but this topic is really interesting not just in subject but i learned a lot. If you want to talk, talk it personally not in text, email or any social media app. This talk is good. I want to suggest to watch this especially to the youths and children. Teach our children with social life.

i cant believe i have to watch this to get good marks

I would send thank you notes to my professor for letting us watch this video. It is worth watching.🥰🥰🥰

Its true sherry is a global community welcoming people every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world.We believe passionately in the power of ideas to changes attitudes.

Reading her book “reclaiming conversation in the digital world” right now. So enlightening as a communication major

Yeah I notice this a lot with my family. all of us could be in the same room and its silent because we are all texting or doing whatever. and that's sad because that's just time wasted being together but being alone

Kaway kaway sa mga classmates Kung naparito dahil sa purposive communication na subject 🤣😂😂😂 Fighting 💪

I'm here because of the purposive assessment..but I really love this video Ang I totally agree Sherry's views because of our technology advance.

My dad sends me videos like this all the time and I find this awesome!

My friends and I use our phones to plan events, to share things we found interesting of funny, and to keep in touch since we're all out of school. When we're on our phones together, it's only to fill a small void between events, not to control how much we interact. Often we've even all played games together, through our phones. When we are not doing something through our phones, we'll actively ask people to get off their phone, or to actually join what we're doing/saying. I get that not everyone is like this, but there are a lot of people who are. Technology advances, and there will always be people who think that it is the end of the world.

Brilliant Ted talk! One of the best!

I'm happy our teacher saw this. During this time of pandemic, online classes have surfaced. I can say that it is not an effective way to learn and teach. The heart of studying and teaching losts its value. I hope we can somehow have a time when all of this is done, talk with each other and have a conversation instead of a mere connection.

Beautifully said. In some ways, we are truly less genuinely connected with each other than ever before. I've been reflecting on how to shift that in my own life.

This is one of my favorite Ted Talks ever, and I came back to it because I'm doing some studies on how Technology affects our interactions with other people. I love the way she describe society today, and the way they interact with each other, not really interacting, hahahaha! and How she put on the table all those needs that drives people to become a digital zombie. Thank you so much for sharing this, I really love this one.

Thanks to the subject that got me here, really love their talks. I learned muchhhhh :)

Hello everyone 😄. Purposive communication subject padaan😅 But it's worth it to watch really😘. Thanks to the speaker for her valuable words that can enlighten thousands of minds😊

this video, not only opened my eyes to his much I use my phone to communicate (even now), but has also helped me write my ict assignment. Thank you.

Yeah, I had the same problems with my friends. We only see each other for dinner once a month, but they would rather text, or update facebook/twitter/instagram/etc rather than enjoy the food or catch up with each other, and or just enjoy a normal conversation.

it's 2020 and im a freshie and my professor just told me to watch this!! it was a really good talk tho..

using this for a debate in my IB design class thank you for providing so much useful information :D I hope we win the debate! :D

Gadgets tend to broke easily, but not the trust, love, and memories we create while connecting with our love ones and friends ❤ from Philippines. 😊

I gave up social media for 40 days, and I have to say I'm doing well but I have definitely seen how much more my mind is appreciating the smaller things.

This speech is so amazing. What a huge speaker,

2020, Pandemic is happening right now and yet our teacher required us to watch this.

I just heard snippets of this on NPR. I can't wait to hear the whole thing! Technology is a beautiful thing, but we can't personally evolve as quickly as it falls in our laps. I love you people and I think social awareness of the downside technology brings to the table should be a very strong and conversed topic within everyones social discourse.

I thoroughly agree with Sherry Turkle’s views on how we’re becoming “Connected,but alone?” through our over-reliance with technological devices these days. I am extremely guilty of avoiding conversations simply because of my inabilty to control what i say. It made me realise that individuals, like myself, yearn for the ability to customise our lives entirely. For example, before posting a picture up or sending a text message, I, sometimes think an umpteen number of times about how a word can project me, as a person, to others. If we were to interact this way in reality, a conversation would conceivably take years to complete. When Sherry said: ”Being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved,” it really got to me. Whatever one’s age may be, there are individuals who are afraid of being alone. But what we do not realise is we truly do find ourselves through solitude. If we start thinking of solitude as good thing and take time off online, perhaps, over-connectedness will not be an issue. In entirety, I have understood that we have to make individual and collective efforts and changes to both our lifestyles and mentality to curb over-reliance on technology for communication. (200 words, Preetpal Kaur, CMM/TB01)

As technology becomes more sophisticated and globally innovated, it greatly has impact on people particularly on students. We tend to cram and laze on school works since we are very complacent that everything we need to research online is available and accessible. As students, we should reflect on and be more vigilant on ourselves. Blame is not always on teachers/professors especially when we complain and feel dissatisfied on our academic grades cause we are primarily the ones responsible for it.

Incrível! Vim pelo livro "Talvez precise conversar com alguém " e assistir esse vídeo me trouxe tantos ensinamentos 😮

Brilliant. Smart. She is a good speaker as well. Doesn't say anything irrelevant. She is a great speaker. And she is very very smart. Let's use technology for what it's for and that's it! Let's not let it control us and prevent us from having the communication skills we really need. No wonder we struggle at job interviews. We are not accustomed to revealing our true selves. She makes a terrific point.

she is pointing out very important facts about life today. we are social beings by nature and that when we are alone we feel the need to use technology. as she said we shouldn't move away from technology and we should develop skills for form a conversations with people around you. this increased reliance on technology can be said to be a reason why many children today have limited ability to speak out and express their thoughts about subject matter. this skill of critiquing and questioning materials and literature is an important part of later success in life in general. yes technology does give us access to a vast amount of information out there that informs, but the problems lies within processing and understanding these materials. otherwise children and people in general will be gullible to anything that media says. this is a huge problem that has affected the previous and the generations of today.

We were also required by our prof to watch this vid but it is actually interesting. I also love Sherry's book. It felt like a romance fiction book with robots and you as main characters

Purposive Communication❤ Shout sa amng pinaka gwapang instructor Maam Clarido😍😍

I fully agree with what Sherry Turkle said. I feel it is true that technology is taking over our lives, it is already evident in the workforce or even when you see youths together. They do not talk, they are together but constantly busy on their electronic devices. She also mentioned that you cannot convey true emotions through technology or messaging online from personal experience, the message you are trying to tell people can often be misinterpreted when it is not said in person. I also feel that having robots replace humans and try to act human like so that people have companions is wrong. The robots are not real and have no emotions, it is kind of insulting the human race I think. It shows that humans are so selfish and busy that they have no time for their loved ones. They should stop humanizing technology so people of the future will still understand how to communicate face to face and have an emotional relationship with a person. (190 words, Natasha Hogan, CMM/TB01)

I agree with her point of disconnecting ourselves from our electronic devices just enough so that we could engage ourselves in real actual face-to-face conversation. Her point about the Goldilocks Effect really appealed to me because that was what I felt was the most attractive aspect about communication in virtual space. In a text conversation, I control when and what I say. In real life, I only have that matter of seconds to go through all of these thought processes and come up with a reply which most likely is not what we want to say. More often than not, I think of what would have been the best reply minutes after the actual conversation had taken place. If the conversation had happened online, I surely would have thought of the optimal reply because I had the power to choose when to reply. Although all of this is nice and seems appealing, I still do hold true to the fact that nothing rivals real life conversations. Our body language and the tone of our voices all have a part to play in getting our message across; something that texts and smiley faces can never emulate. (195 words, Naufal Hakym, CMM/TB01)

You coming to watch this video is the perfect example of professors' guidance as the key for the spreading of knowledge

im here because my prof gave this as an assignment. I've learned a lot. I'm ready for recitation.

Everyone always asks “hey Siri?” but never “how’s Siri?”

my professor in purposive communication told me to watch this, sino pa?

i know no one asked but im only watching cuz of a presentation on media and globalization but i really listened to this and i look at my girlfriend whom i met online and what i see, is that media can be very surprising even tho it lacks allot of real conversation it did bring me someone who ill soon marry. ive met her 5 years ago and were still kicking it off and still falling and loving each other, we fight but we forgive and love each other vey much and we finally met up just a little over a month ago and it just proves that media could bring complete strangers who lived far away from each other to come into a relationship thanks to social media, ive met lots of amazing people and new friends around the world thanks to media and im not proving a point or anything but i just wna share an experience that i had with social media and how it can also be a good thing

My Professor made me watch the video for an assessment but I learned a lot from the Ted Talk so I'm grateful

When you reading comment of their reaction just so you can copy 😂 Reaction paper izreal

Hi classmates. From the philippines

Aşağıdaki yorumlardan öğrendiğim kadarıyla bazı profesörler, öğrencilerine bu videoyu izlemelerini önermişler. Bravo o profesörlere. Ben bu videoya DİJİTAL MİNİMALİZM kitabını okurken, yazarın önerdiği Sherry Hanım'ın kitaplarını araştırırken rastladım. Ancak ALONE TOGETHER'ın türkçe basımı maalesef yok. Keşke olsa da okuyabilsek...

So glad that my teacher told me to watch this.

2023 students is here because your prof told you to watch it. I somehow grateful.

It’s already 2020 and we were told by the professor to watch this :DDD

October 2020.. I am here because my instructor in Language Culture and Society told me to watch this video and make a reaction paper☺️💙

Purposive Communication. Kaway kaway jan😁😁 2020

Colleagues, you may find this TED talk enlightening, not only to help us understand our students, but also the vital need all of us have for face-to-face interaction instead of only through social media.

I'm here now for school's activity.

Ever since I was born, I have always been myself. I will listen to the ramblings of this old woman.

Have to watch this for a midterm. Good talk.

Wow! Got so much more out of this. My take aways: -we expect more from technology than from others -tech cleans up relationships by allowing us to edit, delete, and retouch ourselves -tech keeps us from self reflection and solitude, which produces more loneliness -tech causes us to do things we once found odd, like sending an email in the midst of a conversation with others. -tech causes us to think that being alone is a problem we need to solve -constant connection has created a new regime: “I share, therefore I connect “ which leads us to over share in order to feel heard.