Connected but Alone: A Response to Sherry Turkle on TED Talk

Recently, my phone was broken, and I went without for several weeks and found the experience freeing. I liked being disconnected and walking down the street, alone with my thoughts and aware that I was completely in the moment. At the same time, I have had experiences like the one Turkle gave with her daughter and her friends, however, I have also sat like that in a chatroom, watching a movie with a dozen other people from all over the world, talking and connecting. I feel as though technology is like having a drink at a bar, it can be a social lubricant, giving you an opportunity (and maybe confidence) to connect with other people, however it can also be dangerous and consuming when it becomes an addiction, leaving you, as Turkle says, isolated.

Photo Essay: The Challenges of a New Canadian