Author: Ella Chagnon (Page 1 of 2)

My Chosen Work Sample shows my most effective use of citing sources and applying the MLA format. This is because throughout the course I was able to continuously work on framing my essay to follow the MLA guidelines, so when it came to our third and final project, I had a good understanding of how to incorporate citations appropriately. A specific piece from my Chosen Work Sample that demonstrates my ability to cite sources is when I constructed the following, “Turkle emphasizes technology as a form of distraction when she writes, ‘we have become accustomed to a constant feed of connection, information, and entertainment. We are forever elsewhere’ (344).” Here I was able to introduce what piece of text I was going to be referencing and which authors those thoughts belonged to. Then following the quotation, I followed MLA guidelines by putting the page number in parenthesis. With this project we also had to cite our peers’ essays which is something new compared to our previous projects. Therefore, at the beginning of my drafting I was unsure how to accurately format in text citations as their essay was on UNEportfolio, where page numbers were not applicable. So, I initially began by stating the author’s last name as MLA suggests and then proceeded to state the quote in quotations, but no page numbers mentioned. Later on, I decided to put my peers’ essays in a document to then see what page numbers the quotations I used fell on. However, I found it was not necessary to try to determine page numbers for my classmates’ essays, which resolved my uncertainty of whether page numbers in parentheses are relevant. The last aspect about source citing comes down to the works cited page, in which overtime I learned how to build this page to meet MLA standards. Towards my earlier work I only was able to cite Turkle’s work as I was not familiar with what to include in my peers’ citations. Although I was informed on how to set up citations of my peers’ work, which is evident in my final draft that I included below. I took into account various MLA factors as well involving making my citations in alphabetical order, apply times new roman font in size 12, and double-spacing the text. It was also brought to my attention that the second line of citations should be indented. I was unaware of this in my previous papers and was therefore more successful in project 3 as I indented accordingly. Generally speaking, I made significant moves as my Chosen Works Sample demonstrates my effectiveness to cite sources under MLA guidelines to the best of my ability.

Works Cited

Briggs, Cote. “Technology Isn’t All Fun & Games: Here’s Why.” UNE Portfolio,       JOURNAL # 20 – ENGLISH COMPOSITION (uneportfolio.org). Accessed 5 April 2024.

Gagnon, Elizabeth. “Technology Essay.” UNE Portfolio, JOURNAL # 20 – ENGLISH COMPOSITION (uneportfolio.org). Accessed 5 April 2024.

Turkle, Sherry. “The Empathy Diaries.” PenguinRandomhouse.Com, Penguin Adult HC/TR, www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/585731/the-empathy-diaries-by-sherry-turkle/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024. 

In regard to peer review, I spent a sufficient amount of time providing my classmates with feedback that was certain to help guide them in the right direction upon revision time. When it came to determining how I would convey my thoughts to my peers, I knew I wanted to express my feedback to focus on the most compelling components that really serve a purpose to the project. This is because if I’m in my classmate’s shoes and was the one receiving feedback, I would want the input on what is most important and relevant to strengthen my paper. Therefore, in order to provide quality feedback, I heavily relied on the peer review workshopping 101 worksheet that we received. By referencing this, I managed to address various local and global concerns within their work in a detailed manner typically revolving around 50-150 words. To further help guide my classmates in really enhancing their work in my comments I provided references from the “They Say I Say” book, Barclay’s Formula paper, as well as example sentence starters to use. More specifically for one of my comments I suggested, “As for how to format the analysis portion I would refer to the ‘They Say I Say’ book and the templates for explaining quotations. A few examples from the book include: ‘In making this comment, X urges us to…’ ‘X’s point is that…'” So, by incorporating the resources we’ve used in this class into my peer review, I was able to direct my classmates in towards these materials as they can be very insightful especially in terms of frame working ideas. Another piece of feedback that I provided was the recommendation of incorporating the “I Say” aspect as that specific student wass lacking their perspective. Additionally on this comment that I made I mentioned some examples of how to structure and introduce their view in relation to the other authors ideas. In my feedback I stated, “For starters on how to begin exploring the two quotes, here are some phrases to consider ‘While I agree with Turkle… ‘ ‘I do not align with Kelly…’ ‘As Kelly presents points that I agree with… ‘ ‘I also believe that Turkle’s ideas are accurate…’” This shows how I approached peer review in a more analytical view as I moved beyond simply commenting on grammar mistakes or punctuation errors and focused on bigger issues involving forming relationships between various authors. Overall, rather than providing brief surface level comments that I’ve been used to in the past, I intended to elaborate on valuable concepts that serve a purpose within others’ writing. In which this required me to deeply invest in their work to further construct meaningful feedback. 

Considering the various articles we’ve been responsible for reading; I was able to build on my ability to analyze texts more critically. This is especially true since we read multiple articles which allowed me to practice more on thoroughly and effectively reading. My approach when it came to annotating these texts was to ultimately try to make sense of the information that was presented in a form that I could understand. When it came to determining what to mark up, it is evident that my approach was to rephrase or provide my own interpretation of what I read in my own words. By doing this it helped me better acknowledge what ideas or themes are being brought up. I also had the tendency to underline a sentence or passage that I found to be important and was a strong statement that needed attention. Using the underlining technique was also a way for me to make relationships between ideas in the text to other moments that I’ve experienced or witnessed. My ability to engage with a text in a more critical manner is highlighted in Carr’s text, “Is Google Making Us Stupid” based on the dedication and time I spent in order to fully comprehend his thoughts. For instance, in one section of his text I annotated a few of his statements by stating, “universal experience” and “relatable” therefore I applied his thoughts into a broader perspective as it connects to my own personal life and the lives of many others in the world. Another aspect of my annotation in Carr’s piece that I would like to point out is when I didn’t fully grasp what a paragraph was saying I made my difficulty to understand very clear by inputting a “?” in the margins. This is a strategy that allows me to pinpoint where his ideas were fuzzy to me, leading me to go back and reread and dive deeper into his context to eventually reach the point of full comprehension. By making these moves when reading it allowed me to draw relationships to the concepts within the text to real life situations or even other authors ideas in order to fully see the effects of technology. As for someone who doesn’t enjoy reading, this task challenged me dedicate my full attention to deeply engage with ideas. Although, I was able to overcome this challenge and as a result I learned the value of critical reading in terms of its influence of how to understand texts on a deeper level as it provides me with a new outlook on authors ideas.

Journal #5:

Looking deeper within the Turkle text I found lots of valuable ideas and information. During class we discussed some points in “The Empathy Diaries”, however there were two insightful concepts that stood out to me that were not mentioned. The first was on the 3rd full paragraph on page 348 that referenced this idea of being alone in various situations and how we seek our phone for comfort. I found this interesting because I believe this to be true, since many people have been exposed to technology especially at a young age,which leads us to be so accustomed to referring to our phones to fill the void of boredom. Nowadays it is very common to see people on their phones rather than just standing there with only their thoughts. I connected this to my own life because I am guilty of doing this in my own life. For instance, when I’m waiting for class to start or waiting in line at a store I won’t hesitate to go on my phone because I feel the need to look busy doing something and that is the only thing that seems reasonable. Furthermore, I feel awkward and bored when I am just standing or sitting with only my thoughts to keep me company. Therefore, it appears that when individuals are faced with being alone with their thoughts it is discomforting due to us always wanting to be connected, encouraging us to go on our phones to erase this lonely feeling.
The second idea that struck me was contained in the first full paragraph on page 351. This piece of text mentioned how certain people shy away from face-to-face conversation and are insecure about expressing their thoughts. I found this important and agreeable due to technology being a prime source of communication taking away from our ability to communicate in person effectively. Furthermore, we depend on technology through emails, texts, and phone calls. We seem to have lost social skills when it comes to human interaction based on finding it easy to address someone online. This connects to my own life because I believe my fear of public speaking may have stemmed from using technology. I relate to this because I get nervous and tend to not feel comfortable speaking in social settings. With this being said technology may be to blame for this, since I have become dependent on it and find it an easier source to communicate through. With this being said, Turkle’s text expressed many valuable ideas on technology and its impact on us. More specifically its effect on our social abilities and our desire for connection.

Journal #9:

When reading the text “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr he addressed very valuable points revolving around the internet and its influence on our cognitive abilities. The first section that seemed important to me was on the 2nd page and was within the second paragraph, which stated, “And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles.” I agree with the statement as it appears that technology causes us to have a lack of focus when it comes to reading books as we can simply find the answer more quickly when searching online, but it also trains us to try and take in more information more easily. This is true based on how we rely on the internet, especially Google which is a very intelligent resource filled with lots of answers. Thus, when we seek the internet as it provides the direct information we are looking for, we begin to get comfortable with this fast-paced transfer of information that encourages ourselves to keep up and obtain the information in this timely manner as well. Therefore, the internet demonstrates a quick accessible pattern when it comes to relaying information, leading individuals to work in this way of fast movement from the new information that is being received.
The second passage that stood out to me as important was on page 3 and was contained in the second paragraph as it mentioned, “When we read online, she says, we tend to become ‘mere decoders of information.’ Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged.” This is something that I agree with, as it does seem that the presence of the internet drives us away from building useful deep-thinking skills. Since the internet emphasizes instant efficiency, it influences us to want to find the answers in as little time as possible when it comes to other texts. With this being said we would rather not take the time to dive deep but instead just skim through it hoping to pick up on the concepts we intend to find. This leads us to revert to a quick and easy method of reading, that is not allowing us to practice on deeper thinking skills. We tend to analyze or really gain all the information within the text in order to determine the messages being conveyed, causing our brain’s to be lazy in a way as our brain’s lack the ability to stay engaged and practice interpretation.
The third and final passage that I found to be important was on the last paragraph on the last page (page 8) as the sequence of sentences suggests, “In the world of 2001, people have become so machinelike that the most human character turns out to be a machine. That’s the essence of Kubrick’s dark prophecy: as we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence.” This poses the idea that humans are competing to try and be like the internet, which is something that I strongly agree with. According to how humans nowadays are heavily reliant on technology, we rely on it to do the hard work of understanding the content for us then providing us answers. This in return creates a new method to gaining information. We simply act just like the internet attempting to generate or find the answers in the easiest and less time-consuming ways in other contexts we read such as books or articles. Therefore, as we try to train our brains to match the internet, we ultimately lose our actual human-like qualities such as deep thinking. Since technology is being used for almost everything, we then miss out on the opportunities to build our knowledge using other sources that may actually contribute to building our cognitive capabilities, rather than discouraging it.

Project 3 in particular required us to use the most sources out of all of our papers from both the articles we’ve read and our peers’ essays. This meant that source selection was crucial as it was a major component that would influence my whole piece of writing. I selected sources that I was able to find ways to work with in relation to my overall main idea of my paper and identified pieces from all 3 sources that I could compare and contrast with. By finding specific passages from the get-go, I was able to format my paragraphs following Barclay’s formula in a reasonable manner. For instance, I introduced and explained a quote successfully by writing the following, “In Brigg’s piece he shares his experience related to this idea, ‘The web and social media also allowed me to communicate with like-minded individuals… I was able to connect with those with like-minded goals and aspirations. Those who had shared my sense of humor. I’ve also been able to gain my own friends throughout the web over the years, typically through online games or forum discussions’ (2-3). Briggs recognizes that using technology has been helpful in terms of being able to interact with others and make new friends through the available websites that allowed him to do so.” After I introduced a different author’s quote, “Gagnon shares her concerns about technology’s effects on conversation as she composes, ‘Technology creates a bubble around you, isolating you from the outside world. Kids that grow up with an iPad in their hand are losing their people skills. I have seen that they cannot effectively convey their feelings, remediate conflicts with words, or hold a conversation with others’ (2). Gagnon emphasizes that turning to technology all the time is altering our success to conduct face-to-face conversations as our skills involved are becoming weakened.” Here, I was able to provide insight as to what the quotes that I was going to mention were about, and led into the quotes by referring to which specific author’s work I was referencing to, then I was able to explain the quotes by providing sentences that follow those quotes. I chose these quotes specifically as they provided two different perspectives that related to my topic of technology and human connection. Therefore, I used their quotes to build on my thesis relating to technology helping form digital connections but damage in-person ones. I focused thoroughly on picking out quotes that supported my overall argument as well as appropriately addressing the quotes in my text. I paid attention to the “I say” aspect this time around by including some of my personal connections and examples from my own life as well. Ultimately, I used a framework for quote integration and generated a well-constructed analysis to further explain these ideas with the help of explicitly stating my views to do so.

Is Technology Helping or Hurting Human Connection?

The evolution of technology has led to its frequent use in humans everyday lives. As some may believe we are better off without it, others view that we can benefit from it. From technology’s vast collection of information, to the numerous resources easily applicable from the touch of a button, it makes our lives easier as it saves us from the hassle. As such, we should recognize its impacts on people’s social awareness. With all sorts of technology like phones and computers that we have become so immersed in, it is playing a factor in our ability to socialize appropriately with others. More so, we divert our focus away from conversing with others, resulting in the lack of skills, primarily listening and empathizing, from being developed. Sherry Turkle, an author who holds a doctorate in sociology and psychology addresses in her work, “The Empathy Diaries” technology’s effects on human conversation in regards to the distraction it imposes leading to a loss of empathy. While two University of New England students also stress the idea of the relationship between technology and socialization. One student, Cote Briggs, shares in his essay, “Technology Isn’t All Fun & Games: Here’s Why” how accessing technology has been beneficial to him in forming friendships based on the online platforms that help influence connections. The other student, Elizabeth Gagnon and her piece, “Technology Essay” highlights how focusing our attention towards our devices is altering our ability to communicate with others as we are losing communication skills. All three writers focus on the importance of technology’s effects on human interaction in a variety of ways. Consuming technology provides a source to connect with others, but is responsible for the distraction it causes as it damages the ability to converse and build social skills during in-person conversation.  

It can be perceived that technology is a place to meet new people, but creates a missed opportunity to engage in face-to-face interactions with others. While Briggs demonstrates the benefits of technology through shaping friendships, Gagnon on the other hand suggests the downside of technology as it hinders constructive in-person conversation. Through the many social media platforms or interactive websites like online games it gives people a place to find someone with common interests, which can spark a friendship. It can be challenging to put yourself out there in the real world, but this online space can be an outlet setting you up to meet people whom you genuinely see a potential friendship with. In life you may find yourself limited to people who you truly connect with, as the community you are surrounded in may not share the same values as you. However, online it consists of many people from various backgrounds and interests, guaranteeing you to bond with someone who is as like-minded as you. In Brigg’s piece he shares his experience related to this idea, “The web and social media also allowed me to communicate with like-minded individuals… I was able to connect with those with like-minded goals and aspirations. Those who had shared my sense of humor. I’ve also been able to gain my own friends throughout the web over the years, typically through online games or forum discussions” (2-3). Briggs recognizes that using technology has been helpful in terms of being able to interact with others and make new friends through the available websites that allowed him to do so. 

While being active online may lead you to discover new people, it also takes away the ability to appropriately communicate in-person. Gagnon shares her concerns about technology’s effects on conversation as she composes, “Technology creates a bubble around you, isolating you from the outside world. Kids that grow up with an iPad in their hand are losing their people skills. I have seen that they cannot effectively convey their feelings, remediate conflicts with words, or hold a conversation with others” (2). Gagnon emphasizes that turning to technology all the time is altering our success to conduct face-to-face conversations as our skills involved are becoming weakened. Both students bring up points that I resonate with. I understand where Briggs is coming from in regards to technology providing the opportunity to bond with others and creating friendships, as I too have been able to connect with people through primarily the use of social media. By simply coming across someone’s post, liking it, then following them I’ve made my presence known and took the first step in forming a connection. Therefore, Briggs’ idea appears to be relevant in this day and age based on the online world being the hub for numerous individuals to come together and connect. Platforms like social media apps enable you to come across a new face that may spark an interest in wanting to get to know them better. Whereas when gaming online you may be put in random teams and have to work with others to achieve the goal of that game. Since those involved share the joy of playing video games it could be the start to furthering the potential friendship that may already exist. I also agree with Gagnon, as I understand why she’s referencing how technology’s presence is negatively impacting individuals  from effectively engaging in-person conversation. This speaks true to me as when we are so consumed in our devices we disassociate ourselves from fully being devoted to taking part in the interaction happening before us. As a result, we lose our ability to perform certain social skills as Gagnon previously mentioned. Technology can be both beneficial and detrimental to social interaction as it displays platforms to generate new friendships, but damages one’s social skills when faced with participating in a discussion. 

Being subject to using technology can pose a barrier to social interactions in a physical setting, leading to crucial skills of listening and empathizing being lost based on the huge distraction it causes. Turkle and Gagnon seek to address how we’d rather focus on being involved in the digital realm rather than showing our undivided attention to those we are seeking a conversation with. In other words, the heavy distraction from either a text message notification or a TikTok video immediately strips us from the current conversation, creating a missed opportunity to practice strengthening those crucial skills. Turkle emphasizes technology as a form of distraction when she writes, “we have become accustomed to a constant feed of connection, information, and entertainment. We are forever elsewhere” (344). Turkle acknowledges that humans are always seeking to go on their phones, getting sucked into its content that we can never escape. Ultimately, we are then unable to reclaim our present state of in person context. Gagnon addresses a relatively similar idea in terms of the distraction technology creates. Gagnon states her concerns when composing, “People are so sucked into their games and social media that they no longer experience what is around them. I personally have experienced trying to converse with someone but losing the attention battle between their phones. The number of times I have had to repeat myself, solely on the fact that they were distracted by technology is astounding” (2). It is evident that Gagnon also sees the struggles of designating our focus to what is happening in our physical presence involving conversation as we’ve shifted our attention towards our devices instead. 

Based on Turkle and Gagnon’s mutual views, I agree with both of their perspectives of technology weighing as a distraction. I reside with Turkle and how we consistently have the desire to shift towards our phones in order to feel connected. Since we can get a sense of what’s happening around the world and in others lives we need to be informed about it, which leads us to never fully be present. I resonate with Gagnon’s idea as well as she elaborates on how phones are able to suck us in with all sorts of intriguing content, which draws away someone’s ability to attend to the current conversation. This is a frequent occurrence that I and many others have experienced, based on how we turn towards our phone and become so invested in its content that we are then unaware of what was said or what is happening in the current moment. I see value in face-to-face conversations as it is sustainable to human skills, due to th3 interactive state that it creates, which solely depends on using these skills to effectively conduct an interaction. Listening and empathizing are built from the conversations held with one another. However, this is lost as we’ve shifted our attention to technology, which will have lasting effects in terms of the future and shaping our career as we can’t perform in the workplace successfully. Turkle and Gagnon raise a relevant concern as technology appeals to be a great source for entertainment, but with this we’ve dedicated all of our focus into phones instead of meaningful situations where our social abilities can thrive. 

Technology has brought upon endless possibilities to get in touch and learn more about the world. Being able to go online is a gateway into meeting new people and finding those who also value the same interests as us. With that being said, we must take a step back and broaden our view to recognize what technology is doing to our in-person interactions. Phones have acted as a distraction since we can never devote our attention to being an active participant in a conversation with others. As we prefer to go online, this is a habit that will likely threaten our important skills of listening and empathizing as we no longer can engage with others to our best potential. Being able to put these skills to the test enables us to effectively interpret others’ feelings and ideas which are components to life that help us understand each other. When technology comes into play it blocks individuals from doing so, leading to a failure in functioning appropriately in social settings. It is critical to not lose these abilities as it helps shape us to be successful in the future. Especially in terms of jobs or a career where a worthy worker with strong character can be key. Throughout your time spent on technology you might be introduced to potential long-term friendships by those you meet online, but you shouldn’t lose sight of how it may be disassociating you from connecting in the real world. 

Is Technology Helping or Hurting Human Connection?

Technology has become so frequently used in our everyday lives, some may believe we are better off without it, while others see we can benefit from it. From its vast collection of information and resources that technology provides, making our lives easier as it saves us from the hassle, we should recognize its impacts to people’s social awareness. With all sorts of technology like phones and computers that we have become so immersed in, it ultimately is playing a factor in our ability to socialize appropriately with others. Sherry Turkle, an author who holds a doctorate in sociology and psychology addresses in her work, “The Empathy Diaries” technology’s effects on human conversation in regards to the distraction it imposes leading to a loss of empathy. While two University of New England students also stress the idea of the relationship between technology and socialization. One student, Cote Briggs, shares in his essay, “Technology Isn’t All Fun & Games: Here’s Why” how social media use has been beneficial to him in forming friendships based on the online platforms that influence connections. The other student, Elizabeth Gagnon, writes in her essay highlighting how focusing our attention towards our devices is hindering our ability to communicate with others as we are losing certain skills. All three writers focus on the importance of technology’s effects on human communication in a variety of ways. Consuming technology provides a source to connect with others, but is responsible for the distraction it causes as it damages the abilities to converse and build social skills during in-person conversation.  

Technology can be perceived as a place to meet new people, but creates a missed opportunity to engage in face to face interactions with others. Through the many social media platforms or collaborative sites like online games allows people to find someone with common interests, which can spark a friendship. In Brigg’s piece he shares his experience related to this idea, “The web and social media also allowed me to communicate with like-minded individuals… I was able to connect with those with like-minded goals and aspirations. Those who had shared my sense of humor. I’ve also been able to gain my own friends throughout the web over the years, typically through online games or forum discussions.” Briggs recognizes that using technology has been helpful in terms of being able to interact with others and make new friends through the available websites that allow you to do so. While being active online may lead you to discover new people, it also takes away the ability to appropriately communicate in person. Gagnon shares her concerns about technology’s effects on conversation as she composes, “Technology creates a bubble around you, isolating you from the outside world. Kids that grow up with an iPad in their hand are losing their people skills. I have seen that they cannot effectively convey their feelings, remediate conflicts with words, or hold a conversation with others.” Gagnon emphasizes that turning to technology all the time is altering our success to conduct face to face conversations as our skills involved are becoming weakened. Both of these students bring up points that I resonate with. I understand where Briggs is coming from in regards to technology providing the opportunity to bond with others and allow for friendships to be built as I too have been able to connect with people through primarily the use of social media. Therefore Briggs’ idea appears to be relevant in this day and age. Platforms like social media apps enable you to come across a new face that may spark an interest in wanting to get to know them better. Whereas when gaming online you may be put in random teams and have to work with others to achieve the goal of that game in particular. Since those involved share the joy of playing video games it can be a start to furthering the potential friendship that exists. I also agree with Gagnon as I understand why she’s referencing how technology’s presence is negatively impacting individuals ability to effectively engage in-person conversation. This speaks true to me as when we are so consumed and focused on the devices we disassociate ourselves from fully being devoted to taking part in the interaction happening before us. As a result we lose our ability to perform certain social skills as Gagnon previously mentioned. Consuming technology can be both beneficial and detrimental to social interaction as it displays platforms to generate new friendships, but damages one’s social skills when faced with participating in a discussion. 

Technology can be a barrier to social interactions in a physical setting that leads to crucial skills being lost based on the huge distraction it causes. As our devices are readily available we have them right at our fingertips. We’d rather focus on being involved in the digital realm rather than showing our undivided attention to those we are seeking a conversation with. Turkle highlights technology as a form of distraction when she writes, “we have become accustomed to a constant feed of connection, information, and entertainment. We are forever elsewhere” (344). Turkle acknowledges that humans are always seeking to go on their phones, becoming so immersed in all its content that we can never escape it and ultimately we are unable to reclaim our present state of in person context. Gagnon addresses a relatively similar idea in terms of the distraction technology creates. Gagnon states her concerns in her essay, “People are so sucked into their games and social media that they no longer experience what is around them. I personally have experienced trying to converse with someone but losing the attention battle between their phones. The number of times I have had to repeat myself, solely on the fact that they were distracted by technology is astounding.” Here it is evident that Gagnon also sees the struggles of designating our focus to what is happening in our physical presence involving conversation as we’ve shifted our attention towards our devices instead. I agree with both Turkle and Gagnon on they’re perspectives of technology weighing as a distraction. I reside with Turkle and how we consistently have the desire to shift towards our phones in order to feel connected to what’s happening around the world, which leads us to never fully be present. I resonate with Gagnon’s idea as well as she elaborates on how phones are able to suck us in with all sorts of intriguing platforms and how it draws away someone’s ability to attend to the current conversation. This is a frequent occurrence that even I and many others experienced, based on how we turn towards our phone and become so consumed in all of its content that we are then unaware of what was said or what is happening in the current setting they’re in. I see value in engaging in face-to-face conversations as it is sustainable to human skills. These skills such as listening and empathizing are built from the conversations held with one another. However this is lost as we’ve shifted our attention to technology disengaging us from the opportunity to strengthen these skills through conversation. Ultimately, Turkle and Gagnon raise a relevant concern as technology appeals to be a great source for entertainment, but with this we’ve dedicated all of our focus into our phones instead of meaningful situations where our social abilities can thrive. 

Technology has brought upon us endless possibilities of ways to get in touch and learn more about the world. Being able to go online is a gateway into meeting new people and find those who also value the same interests as you. Although, we must take a step back and broaden our view to recognize what technology is doing to our face-to-face interactions. The use of our phones primarily have acted as a distraction since we can never devote our attention to being an active participant in a conversation with others. As we prefer to go online, this is a habit that will likely threaten our important social skills. Being able to listen and empathize effectively are a few components to human life that help us understand each other. When technology comes into play it blocks individuals from doing so, leading to a failure in being able to function appropriately in social settings. It is crucial to not lose these abilities as it also helps shape us to be successful in the future. Especially in terms of jobs or your career where a worthy worker with strong character can be key. Throughout your time spent on technology you might be introduced to potential long-term friendships by those you meet online, but you should pay attention to how it may be disengaging you from connecting in the real world.

As technology has become so frequently used in our everyday lives, some may believe we are better off without it, while others see we can benefit from it. From its vast collection of information and resources that technology provides, making our lives easier as it saves us from the hassle, we should recognize its impacts to people’s social awareness, especially those of the new generation. With all sorts of technology like phones and computers that we have become so immersed in it ultimately is playing a factor in our ability to socialize appropriately with others. Sherry Turkle, an author who holds a doctorate in sociology and psychology addresses in her work, “The Empathy Diaries” technology’s effects on human conversation in regards to the distraction it imposes leading to a loss of empathy. While two University of New England students also stress the idea of the relationship between technology and socialization. One student, Cote Briggs, shares in his essay, “Technology Isn’t All Fun & Games: Here’s Why” how social media use has been beneficial to him in forming friendships based on the various platforms for forming connections with others online. Then the other student, Elizabeth Gagnon,  writes in her essay highlighting how technology is hindering our ability to communicate with others as we are losing certain skills by focusing our attention on our devices. All three writers focus on the importance of technology’s effects on human communication in a variety of ways. By consuming technology it can provide a source to connect with others, but is responsible for eating away human’s abilities to converse with others and build social skills.

Technology can be perceived as a place to meet new people but creates a missed opportunity to engage in face to face conversation with others. Through the many social media platforms or collaborative sites like online games allows people to find someone with common interests which can spark a friendship. In Brigg’s piece he shares his experience related to this idea, “The web and social media also allowed me to communicate with like-minded individuals… I was able to connect with those with like-minded goals and aspirations. Those who had shared my sense of humor. I’ve also been able to gain my own friends throughout the web over the years, typically through online games or forum discussions.”. Briggs recognizes that using technology has been helpful in terms of being able to interact with others and make new friends through the available websites that allow you to do so. While technology may be a place to discover and socialize with new people online, it also takes away our ability to appropriately communicate in person. Gagnon shares her concerns about technology’s effects on conversation as she composes, “Technology creates a bubble around you, isolating you from the outside world. Kids that grow up with an iPad in their hand are losing their people skills. I have seen that they cannot effectively convey their feelings, remediate conflicts with words, or hold a conversation with others.” Gagnon emphasizes that turning to technology all the time is altering our success to have face to face conversations as our skills involved are becoming weakened. Both of these students bring up points that I resonate with. I understand where Briggs is coming from in regards to technology providing the opportunity to communicate and bond with others over the shared interests, which leads to new friendships being built. As I too have been able to discover people through primarily the use of social media, therefore Briggs’ idea appears to be relevant in this day and age. Platforms either social media apps enable you to come across a new face that may spark an interest in wanting to get to know them better or when gaming online you may have to work with others to achieve the goal of that particular. Since those involved share the love of playing video games it can be a start to furthering the potential friendship that exists. I also agree with Gagnon as I can see where she is coming from when referencing how technology’s presence is hindering individuals ability to effectively engage in-person conversation. This is true to me as when we are so consumed and focused on the devices we dissociate ourselves from fully being devoted to taking part in the interaction happening before us. As a result we lose our ability to perform certain social skills as Gagnon previously mentioned. Consuming technology can be both beneficial and detrimental to social interaction as it can have platforms to generate new friendships, but damage one’s social skills when faced with participating in a conversation. 

Technology can be a barrier to social interactions in a physical setting that leads to crucial skills being lost based on the huge distraction it causes. As our devices are readily available we have them right at our fingertips. We’d rather focus on being involved in the digital realm rather than showing our undivided attention to those we are seeking a conversation with. Turkle highlights technology as a form of distraction when she writes, “we have become accustomed to a constant feed of connection, information, and entertainment. We are forever elsewhere” (344).

As technology has become so frequently used in our everyday lives, some may believe we are better off without it, while others see we can benefit from it. From its vast collection of information and resources that technology provides, making our lives easier as it saves us from the hassle, we should recognize its impacts to people’s social awareness, especially those of the new generation. With all sorts of technology like phones and computers that we have become so immersed in it ultimately is playing a factor in our ability to socialize appropriately with others. Author Sherry Turkle and her work, “The Empathy Diaries” addresses technology’s effects on human conversation in regards to empathy. While two University of New England students also stress the idea of the relationship between technology and socialization. One student, Cote Brigg’s essay, “Technology Isn’t All Fun & Games: Here’s Why” shares how social media use has been beneficial to him in forming friendships based on the various platforms for forming connections with others online. Then the other student, Libby Gagnon,  writes in her essay highlighting how technology is hindering our ability to communicate with others as we are losing certain skills by focusing our attention on our devices. All three writers focus on the importance of technology’s effects on human communication in a variety of ways. By consuming technology it can provide a source to connect with others, but is responsible for eating away human’s abilities to converse with others and build social skills. Technology can be perceived as a place to meet new people but creates a missed opportunity to engage in face to face conversation with others. Through the many social media platforms or collaborative sites like online games allows people to find someone with common interests which can spark a friendship. In Brigg’s piece he shares his experience related to this idea, “The web and social media also allowed me to communicate with like-minded individuals… I was able to connect with those with like-minded goals and aspirations. Those who had shared my sense of humor. I’ve also been able to gain my own friends throughout the web over the years, typically through online games or forum discussions.”

Technology’s Distraction Weakens Human Skills

Technology can represent an ultimate distraction that inhibits us from effectively engaging in circumstances that are essential to building various human qualities. Authors Sherry Turkle, who holds a doctorate in sociology and psychology and Nicholas Carr, a writer for technology, business, and culture related articles address technology’s significant role in their pieces. Both seek to demonstrate how it may be altering our performance on daily tasks based on the lack of attention we’ve developed from technology usage. “The Empathy Diaries,” written by Turkle, focuses on how technology poses a barrier from human conversation and our ability to empathize appropriately. Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid” is based on a similar idea and how technology is negatively affecting humans and our ability to focus in regards to deep thinking skills. These ideas are something that speaks true to me, considering I have acknowledged technology’s impacts on human concentration and communication as well. The presence of the internet and phones have prevented humans from relying on their own comprehension and the influence of conversation with others to fulfill themselves, as shifting to technology disassociates us from applying skills we once had.

As technology has evolved, it has drawn our attention away from the task presented in front of us, especially when we face public settings or reading texts. One factor that technology has set us apart from is being fully engaged with face-to-face conversations, because it is vital for humans to have these interactions as it enables us to build our interpersonal traits. In Turkle’s text she suggests, “We now rarely give each other our full attention, but every once in a while we do. We forget how unusual this has become, that many young people are growing up without ever having experienced unbroken conversations either at the dinner table or when they take a walk with parents or friends” (351). Turkle recognizes that phones are hindering our ability to devote all of our focus to those whom we are having a conversation with due to the partial focus we dedicate towards our devices. As a result, phones can be considered a primary source of distraction in modern life. When it comes to Carr and his text, instead of viewing technology as a source that inhibits our focus revolving around in-person communication, he analyzes how it eats away at our individual capacity of focusing as a form of deep thinking. Carr writes, “Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do… I’ve been spending a lot of time online, searching and surfing and sometimes adding to the great databases of the Internet. The Web has been a godsend to me as a writer. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes” (1-2). Carr recognizes that technology’s search engines, like Google, provide a more efficient strategy to intake information, as this outlook gives us answers instantly when simply inputting a question. Therefore, when faced with reading long texts, we lose the engagement since we know we have another accessible source that can easily do the work for us. I agree with Turkle’s perspective that technology is acting as an obstacle from fully dedicating our focus to the present connection we are forming with others, based on how we are hearing but not actually listening. Not effectively listening leads individuals to miss out on learning about one another, and what comes with that is building skills of empathy and sympathy. Speaking from my personal experience, I have checked my phone in the midst of someone speaking to me, so this is an expected occurrence that Turkle addresses. I also align with Carr’s view on how technology is damaging our ability to focus in situations involving in depth reading. I am subject to his idea, due to my lack of patience when I have classwork involving reading articles for instance. As I’m guilty of skimming or quickly reading through it rather than taking the time to thoroughly read completely through. I think it is evident that when we are constantly surrounded by phones, we tend to subconsciously focus on the digital world it portrays, which takes away our full potential to invest in the interactions happening before us. Then there is the internet that displays itself as an efficient tool to gain any kind of information within seconds. This results in humans turning to this easy solution to obtain the answers, so when faced with a lengthy piece of writing we do not have the patience nor attention span to read through it searching for what we need. Instead we devote our full attention to technology, not the people or things with deeper meaning. As we’ve shifted to phones and the shallow threads of the internet it is our skill of focus that suffers.

Technology portrays itself as an efficient resource that we consume by accessing it for entertainment or learning purposes, thus weakening our intellectual capabilities of empathy and memory consolidation. Turkle is primarily concerned with how the amount of technology usage that one consumes puts our empathizing ability at risk during conversation with peers. Contained in Turkle’s text she emphasizes this idea through an example of a young generation’s exposure to digital technology, “As the Holbrooke middle schoolers began to spend more time texting, they lost practice in face-to-face talk. That means lost practice in the empathic arts – learning to make eye contact, to listen, and to attend to others” (346). Turkle values empathy as it is an important characteristic to human development, because it allows us to connect deeper with others and we’re able to understand each other beyond surface level. Although, we pay the cost of losing this skill when we resort to texting as we can’t gauge the full experience of in-person communication. Carr also recognizes technology’s effect on our interpersonal well being, but focuses primarily on the aspect of the brain’s processes of memorization. Since the internet is an efficient tool to gain information from, this requires our brains to adjust to how to withhold information as it flows in a rapid high-speed manner.  When Carr speaks on technology’s role in shaping the interworks of our minds he composes, “The variations extend across many regions of the brain, including those that govern such essential cognitive functions as memory and the interpretation of visual and auditory stimuli. We can expect as well that the circuits woven by our use of the Net will be different from those woven by our reading of books and other printed works ” (3). Here, Carr imposes that the internet may be hindering our ability to fully grasp concepts as it presents a different format to retain information compared to physical written pieces. As the internet presents content through a new visual lens, it requires our brain to rework our approach of tackling that piece of information. With this being said, I align with Turkle on how phones have become the place to venture off to and we miss out on the opportunities to talk in person. It is through this kind of communication that builds the ability to empathize as we use the various ques such as listening and body language to do so. Looking at Carr’s idea on how the use of online sources alters our mind’s ability to memorize context, I understand that information presented digitally and on paper is different, but I see it as more of an adaptability change. This is because based on how information is presented differently we must therefore adjust to learn with it and become familiar with this faster pace of information flow. Carr implies that technology can potentially threaten memorization as we do not immerse deeply with context like we used to with written texts. However, I think this change in how we memorize information is not necessarily a bad thing and can be more of a timesaving method. By briefly overlooking online resources or just pulling up exact answers on the web, we can still manage to grasp the details that strike us as important, rather than being overwhelmed at trying to memorize all the points in a heavy contextual book. Being subject to using the internet and phones is impacting humans’ practical skills in regards to empathy and memorization. The chance to build our empathetic perspective is lost and the way we perceive information through a digital view causes a shift in how we memorize it.

Technology has dramatically altered some of our most human-like qualities, as we’ve become less dependent on our own understanding and the communication with others. Many individuals have become so immersed in some form of technology that it is channeling their true focus away from face-to-face interactions or diving into deep reading. The distraction of the internet and phones creates a missed opportunity to build our ability to empathize, memorize, and focus on situations that matter. It is what comes with being so engaged in these situations that sets us up to be at our best potential throughout life. If we don’t recognize the huge distraction that technology has imposed on us, it will continuously take away from growing our interpersonal traits that we hold.