The Tethered Choice

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.