Entry #2: Book Review for Reclaiming conversation: The power of talk in a digital age.

Hello, there! 

I’ve just finished Reclaiming conversation: The power of talk in a digital age by Sherry Turkle and boy, let me tell you, this is a must read book. Now, before I begin, let me preface by saying I don’t agree with everything Sherry Turkle writes, but I do believe that she gives great food for thought. There were times while I was reading that I felt like what she was saying was outdated, yet I realized that it still held truth. Her goal is to help us reclaim the art of having a conversation and connecting with others on a deeper level, and who doesn’t want that? Anyhow, let’s dive in, shall we? 

Turkle starts out with providing a brief overview of the current situation vs the goal situation. The current situation is that people prefer to just send a text message, chat, or email rather than have a conversation face to face; we avoid it. Turkle’s argument, in essence, is that “face-to-face conversation is the most human - and humanizing - thing we do” (Turkle 6). She then presents the side-effects of communicating via technology such as phubbing, becoming bored easily, addicted to checking social media or messages, and allowing ourselves to become more and more distracted thus only allowing ourselves to have superficial communication and relationships with one another. 

Turkle does a good job saying that she is not negating the positives that technology gives us when communicating with one another; she only wants to highlight the difference of intimacy in a face-to-face conversation vs one using technology (Turkle 17). She calls her audience to action to step up in their social circles if they know how to have a conversation (Turkle 21). I also appreciated that Turkle is not asking her audience to turn away from technology but to take a closer look at our actions (self reflection) (Turkle 30-31). I include these points for you, my readers, to understand that this book isn’t a one-sided “all technology is bad for conversation”. Turkle really does present her tone, voice, and findings in a light where she is not glib or dismissive of the powers of technology and how it can connect us. All she is doing is asking us to take a closer look. 

My favorite thing about Turkle’s book is that she really gives her audience a sense of empowerment. She reminds them to move away from striving to be perfect and responding with the “right” thing all the time and to look towards a more spontaneous conversation (Turkle 69). It’s freeing to let go of the idea of being “right”. We always want to find the “right” words to say, the “right” tone to hold, the “right” message to send. What happens if it’s not right? Are we afraid to clarify? Are we afraid to say sorry? If we strive to be perfect all the time, how does this impact our empathy for one another when we do make mistakes? 

Turkle advises her audience to take the first step into solitude. What is life like without our devices? While I thought this section was incredibly important for self-reflection and self-growth, I also questioned what would happen to the children who use technology as an escape. We can’t deny that technology builds imagination. There are worlds that can be built, avatars, etc. on a device allowing people to think differently than what is presented before us on a daily basis. While I am all for solitude from technology, how can we balance it? How can tech still be a tool for escaping (stress, pressure, etc.) while also understanding the hold that it may have over us? 

Lastly, while Turkle’s book has a lot of research, examples, and such insightful thoughts and ideas, it was repetitive. A lot of the examples provided were focusing on distraction. Now, there are many layers, perspectives, and situations that differ from one another; however, sometimes it felt like the conclusion wasn’t any different than what she’s presented before; it was just stated differently. 

Overall, Turkle brought up many great points and tips on how to self-evaluate how we communicate face-to-face and how to be an advocate to help others communicate face-to-face. I will leave you with the same warning Turkle left me with: “Each of us who ‘feeds’ the system ends up being shaped by it” (Turkle 362).