Not too long ago, I attended a meeting that, within the first 30 seconds, I deemed to be a little dull. So naturally I pulled out my phone to check the time and somehow ended up on facebook. As the meeting progressed, I'm sure I heard every word that was said. But I was almost surprised when the meeting came to an end, as the time had flown by so quickly. Later that night I realized that I could not remember what was discussed or even who was teaching. I was present for the meeting, but, surrounded by the voices of the world wide web, I did not attend. Has this happened to you?
Sherry Turkle talks about the impact our online interactions have on our abilities to communicate with those right in front of us in her Ted talk below. We become reinforced by the controlled and perfected connection we feel to those online, choosing it over the messy communications that happen in real life. These connections take dedication to listening and perceiving what someone has to say in a way this is less immediate than the ones we find on our phones.
However, Sherry insists that the issues which arise from online communication do not indicate that we need to give up our devices, but that we need to set them aside in order to connect and listen to others on a more frequent basis.
This balance is necessary as we live in a world where communication is happening on a global scale, and there is a lot to listen to. However, it is essential to recognize that what we listen to in these "global" discussions is impacted by our perception.
In this electronic age we have an opportunity to listen and change our perception as we connect with people from around the world. Ethan Zuckerman explains in his Ted Talk (video below) that in the early days of the internet it was thought that global interaction and connection would increase as a result of different nations and cultures exposure on the internet.
In spite of this amazing global connection, this is not the case in our world today. It is very difficult to access international content when searching, and in the end we look to our social connections to provide our view of the international world. However, these connections tend to be people like us talking about things we like and know about.
I'll admit, I am often one to believe that because I've seen "World in a minute" on the nightly news that I have an understanding of what is happening across our planet. I've come to realize that my perspective is in fact very narrow, and the understanding and communication I get from the internet is nowhere near global proportions.
Sherry Turkle talks about the impact our online interactions have on our abilities to communicate with those right in front of us in her Ted talk below. We become reinforced by the controlled and perfected connection we feel to those online, choosing it over the messy communications that happen in real life. These connections take dedication to listening and perceiving what someone has to say in a way this is less immediate than the ones we find on our phones.
However, Sherry insists that the issues which arise from online communication do not indicate that we need to give up our devices, but that we need to set them aside in order to connect and listen to others on a more frequent basis.
This balance is necessary as we live in a world where communication is happening on a global scale, and there is a lot to listen to. However, it is essential to recognize that what we listen to in these "global" discussions is impacted by our perception.
In this electronic age we have an opportunity to listen and change our perception as we connect with people from around the world. Ethan Zuckerman explains in his Ted Talk (video below) that in the early days of the internet it was thought that global interaction and connection would increase as a result of different nations and cultures exposure on the internet.
In spite of this amazing global connection, this is not the case in our world today. It is very difficult to access international content when searching, and in the end we look to our social connections to provide our view of the international world. However, these connections tend to be people like us talking about things we like and know about.
I'll admit, I am often one to believe that because I've seen "World in a minute" on the nightly news that I have an understanding of what is happening across our planet. I've come to realize that my perspective is in fact very narrow, and the understanding and communication I get from the internet is nowhere near global proportions.
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