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Impact of Tech on Communication

Here are the answers: 1. B - B mentions people wanting to be in two or several places at once by switching back and forth between real-life and online conversations. 2. C - C discusses the importance of learning conversational skills through real conversations rather than edited online messages. 3. B - B gives the example of a daughter and her friends arranging to meet but then sitting in silence while each engages in a different online conversation. 4. B - B mentions the impact of parental social media use on teenage behavior and communication habits. 5. D - D is not sure people are more alone but agrees communication has changed, whereas C believes there is a danger of increased isolation. 6

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40 views3 pages

Impact of Tech on Communication

Here are the answers: 1. B - B mentions people wanting to be in two or several places at once by switching back and forth between real-life and online conversations. 2. C - C discusses the importance of learning conversational skills through real conversations rather than edited online messages. 3. B - B gives the example of a daughter and her friends arranging to meet but then sitting in silence while each engages in a different online conversation. 4. B - B mentions the impact of parental social media use on teenage behavior and communication habits. 5. D - D is not sure people are more alone but agrees communication has changed, whereas C believes there is a danger of increased isolation. 6

Uploaded by

Kim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reading homework

Are we losing the art of conversation?


We asked four people who watched an online talk on technology and communication
by Sherry Turkle for their opinions.
A

The talk certainly gave me plenty of food for thought about the way we communicate
these days and how technology is changing our behaviour. People are constantly
multitasking, whether it be emailing during meetings or texting in the checkout
queue. I really believe it’s affecting the way we relate to each other and it’s not just in
the workplace. Kids fade into the background as parents message at the dinner table
or post on social networks during the school run. It’s as if we can’t bear to miss out
on what our online buddies are up to, so we juggle the real and online world. My
greatest concern is that we don’t give our brains a chance to switch off. It’s these
precious moments when we actually process information that helps us make
important decisions.

It was a fascinating talk and the speaker really hit the nail on the head with a couple
of things. Take parental influence, for instance. How can we expect teenagers not to
text while doing their homework when they witness their parents posting on social
media while cooking the evening meal or waiting at a red light? She also made a
valid point about people wanting to be in two or several places at once. So they
switch back and forth between their real-life and online conversations. I see it all the
time with my teenage daughter and her friends. They arrange to meet and then sit
together in silence while each one engages in a different conversation online.

So much of what the speaker said rang true. I honestly believe there’s a danger that
the more connected we are, the more isolated we feel. I don’t think this is such an
issue for my generation who’ve lived without technology for so long. We know how to
be alone and, more importantly, we know that it’s OK to be alone. But the under 20s
are another kettle of fish. They’re so busy communicating that they never experience
the feeling of solitude and run the risk of not learning how to enjoy their own
company. In addition, they’re learning conversation through messages that can be
edited and changed at the expense of learning the art of real conversation in real
time with the person in front of you.

I’m not sure to what extent I agree that people are more alone, but the way we
communicate has certainly evolved. We send tiny snippets of conversation or
emoticons to each other and I wonder how much this actually allows us to really
understand one another. This superficial conversation is replacing in-depth
face-to-face interaction with its pauses, intonation and sentiment. The speaker
makes a good point about how we’re getting used to conversing with machines like
Siri or robots, which are totally devoid of any experience of human life. But despite
such limitations, we seem to be expecting more from technology and less from each
other.

A. Which person, A, B, C or D ..

1. shares A’s view that we simultaneously spend our time in different worlds?

2. has a similar opinion to C about the importance of conversational skills without

technology?

3. gives an example of how people can be simultaneously together and alone?

4. agrees with B that online communication is having an impact on family relationships?

5. disagrees with C about people feeling more isolated?

6. mentions how decision-making skills could be affected by technology?

7. shares D’s opinion that the nature of conversation has changed?

8. agrees with A that times without any communication are valuable?


B.

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