Auditory communication and presence perception

Technology

In "Can You Hear Me Now?" Sherry Turkle explores the changing relationships between human beings and technology. Turkle claims that communications technologies have created a "tethered life," because we are perpetually tied to cell phones and laptops. Even though communications technologies help us stay in close contact with friends, family, clients, and business partners, we may be cutting ourselves off from what is real. Turkle's analysis is cogent and well written. The author makes several valid points and observations of how technology has transformed human identity construction and communication. However, Turkle comes across as being unnecessarily alarmist. The last two sections of the article relate to robots and are non-sequitur.

Until the last two sections, Turkle does make valid claims about the "tethered life." Certainly we are tied down to technology, constantly checking our phones for incoming text messages, or checking our emails and online forums. As Turkle puts it, "our devices have become more closely coupled to our sense of our bodies and increasingly feel like extensions of our minds." Moreover, Turkle points out the ways that technology alters the way human beings interact with one another. An avatar on a forum and a Facebook profile are the ways we present ourselves to the world.

Turkle is correct. Yet the author could have easily framed the "tethered life" as being a positive feature of current human communications, rather than a negative. Turkle comes across as being fearful of change and technophobic. The degradation of the argument into one about the difference between animatronic and real animals makes little sense, especially in light of the author's intelligent exposition of communications technologies. When the author explains the little girl's reaction to the real Galapagos turtle at the Darwin museum, Turkle fails to understand that the girl's sympathy with the creature was genuine. In fact, the girl's sympathy with the turtle disproves Turkle's premise that the tethered life puts people out of touch with reality and with "our fragile planet." Turkle claims that "our fragile planet needs our action in the real," which is exactly what the little girl was trying to point out. Her appreciating the animatronic animals more than the real ones is a product of technology saturation.

Technology has become an annoyance: we all experience the "sense of encroachment of the device" on our personal time and it is difficult to cut ourselves off from the world. Yet technology is a blessing. Turkle points out that the shy and inhibited are hiding behind their virtual selves. Indeed they are: to their advantage. Many readers would agree that technology has allowed the shy and socially awkward to engage socially with others without having to sweat or take anxiety medication.