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Critical Reflection 2: Are we alone together?
Siri Krishnamurthy
Department of Sociology, Bellevue College
SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
Dr. Sara Sutler-Cohen
April 18, 2023
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Critical Reflection 2: Are we alone together?
“We are allowing technology to kill our relationships because we tend to give our phone more
attention than we do our partner.” This is true today as people tend to focus more on their
devices than on others. It is an especially crucial point that Terkel made in the Ted Talk since she
mentioned the harm technology can do to intrapersonal relationships. The overuse of technology
in our daily lives can have a detrimental effect on our personal relationships by reducing the
quality and quantity of face-to-face interactions and hindering our ability to connect with others
on a deeper level.
My experience of being alone together is just me being around people and still feeling lonely.
During the quarantine period, I would always be on my phone or computer because I was tired of
being around the same people every day, my parents. Everything, including my school and
Taekwondo classes were online. As a result, I was not able to connect with my friends which
meant less social interaction. I did attend group therapy, but it was on zoom so I did not feel that
connection that I would have felt in person. Being on the autism spectrum made it a lot harder
because I did not have many opportunities to develop my social skills.
According to Susanna Hopler, “[w]e build on the premise that people articulate on relevant
aspects of their lived experiences, meaning that they describe parsimoniously all relevant aspects
for a comprehensive understanding of an experience” (Hopler et al., 2022). This was true for
many people during the convincing pandemic and even today. During the pandemic, a lot of
people were glued to their devices and not really understanding each other, as Terkel mentioned.
This applies to me because
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being on the Autism Spectrum makes it a little harder for me to understand other people. My
mom once told me about some kids on the spectrum at her Montessori school, where she works.
She said that many children with autism are sensitive to certain stimuli, and that includes digital
devices.
I do agree with Terkel on the fact that these digital devices have a huge effect on our social
interactions. As the crash course video on Sociology mentioned, there are a lot of various aspects
of socializing. According to the speaker “a single status often has multiple roles that go with it”
(“Crash Course,” 2017 4:19). I must admit that I sometimes find these social roles and statuses
confusing. I have experienced role strain as well. I have a tough time balancing my studies and
my social life. I have responsibilities of studying, doing Taekwondo, socializing with friends,
and listening to my parents. Overuse of technology can make it more difficult to balance and
fulfill the multiple roles associated with a single status. Additionally, the overuse of technology
can hinder our ability to connect with others on a deeper level, which can further complicate our
social interactions and relationships.
One example of how the overuse of technology can negatively affect our personal
relationships is through the phenomenon known as “phubbing,” which refers to the act of
snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention to
them. This behavior can reduce the quality of face-to-face interactions and hinder our ability to
connect with others on a deeper level. For instance, if two friends are having a conversation and
one of them is constantly checking their phone, it can make the other person feel ignored and
undervalued. This can have a detrimental effect on their relationship.
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As mentioned in the crash course video, “you, and everyone around you, uses assumptions
and experiences to define what’s real” (“Crash Course” 2017, 7:12). Our realities are socially
constructed, and what Terkel mentioned in the Ted Talk about digital devices has changed those
realities in a way. She made a point on how digital devices can negatively affect social
interactions. As Terkel mentioned in the Ted Talk, when parents are glued to their devices and
do not listen to their children’s concerns, it can reduce the quality of their face-to-face
interactions and hinder their ability to connect on a deeper level. This can have a detrimental
effect on their relationship.
In conclusion, the overuse of technology in our daily lives can have a detrimental effect on our
personal relationships. As we have seen, technology can reduce the quality and quantity of faceto-face interactions and hinder our ability to connect with others on a deeper level. While
technology has brought many benefits and conveniences to our lives, it is important to be
mindful of its potential negative impact on our relationships. By being aware of this issue and
actively working to balance our use of technology with meaningful face-to-face interactions, we
can strengthen our connections with others and build healthier, more fulfilling relationships.
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References
[Crash Course]. (2017, June 26). Social Interaction & Performance: Crash Course Sociology
#15 [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUukBV82P9A&ab_channel=CrashCourse
Hoppler , S. S., Segerer, R., & Nikitin, J. (2022, January 22). The Six Components of Social
Interaction: Actor, Partner, Relation, Activities, Context and Evaluation. Retrieved April 22,
2023, from
file:///C:/Users/gmsir/Downloads/The%20Six%20Components%20of%20Social%20Interactions
%20%20Actor,%20Partner,%20Relation,%20Activities,%20Context,%20and%20Evaluation.pdf
[TED Talk]. (2012, April 3). Connected, but alone? | Sherry Turkle [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Xr3AsBEK4&ab_channel=TED