The concept
of the “tethered self” was discussed in one of my graduate classes this week.
Having Sherry Turkle’s research discussion as reference, our class tried to
mirror the real impact of how having regular access to the internet through our
smartphones or laptops has changed the way people communicate and form
relationships. Our class discussion actually made me further see in retrospect
how indeed, the way we interact with others today has dramatically changed
because being “unplugged” or “disconnected” from the internet is now considered
inappropriate or unacceptable.
For
instance, some examples which she elaborated on her research were that before,
when one opens her laptop during an ongoing presentation at a conference, it is
considered as a disrespectful or rude act. Today, it has become a norm. Before,
after a meeting or a conference, people usually go around to establish new networks
by socializing with one another. Today, during and after conferences, people
usually find a comfortable spot where they can check their emails, respond to
queries in their online accounts and even check their social media accounts.
In hindsight,
the internet and our becoming “cyborgs” due to such technology have
revolutionized not only the way we communicate to others, but also the way we
spend our time. It’s as if we are being disrespectful to a colleague if we do
not respond on time with their email because it is assumed that we are always
tethered on the internet. Unfortunately, the fact that there are decisions
which can’t be answered immediately is discarded with this viewpoint.
Perhaps
the challenge for us here is to demarcate the boundaries between the importance
of always being connected and the value of spending real quality time with our
loved ones by being connected personally through face-to-face communication. With
our fast-paced life due to technology and with the ubiquitous power of the
internet, this challenge might be difficult to address.
Turkle
said, “To put it more starkly: to make more “time” means turning off our
devices, disengaging from the always-on culture. But this is not a simple
proposition since our devices have become more closely coupled to our sense of
our bodies and increasingly feel like extensions of our minds”.
Now,
excuse me as I turn off my phone and laptop to really make more “time” for
those around me.
