To be, or not to be connected?

I was never the first one to jump on the cell phone bandwagon, nor the first to become immersed in twitter or tumblr.

As I kid, I had no real issues connecting and forming friendships. In fact, I was always the 3 year old that would approach others and say ‘Hi I’m Livvy, want to play?’. Getting to know other people tended to be an easy so when I was introduced to MSN and Piczo at 11 years old, I felt a little lost on how to form virtual friendships.

Mobile devices have allowed us to connect with more people, more easily and more often. This is great people who take comfort in the controlled, non-judgemental surrounds of online relationship building. However for people like myself who enjoy the spontaneity and intimacy of reality (embarrassment and regret should also be noted), the pervasiveness of constantly being connected to one another can feel overwhelming.  

Yes, I have noted the irony of publishing a post about the pitfalls of communicating online, online.

After watching Sherry Turkle’s talk on connecting with others online, it really clarified one of my strongest beliefs - solitude is important. She identifies that many people are so desperate to chat online because ‘being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved’. I think this is sad and I totally agree with Turkle when she said ‘solitude is where you find yourself so you can reach out and make real attachments’ (TED 2012).

(Forever Alone, 2013)

Looking outside of just relationships and communicating, mobile devices have thousands of other benefits including the convenience of online banking, maps, GPS, immediate information, cameras etc. The main mobile devices that I carry around are my cell, my laptop and my ipod . My cell I actually use less for calling people than I do the virtual notepad, online banking and directions. . My laptop I use mostly for school, skype and watching movies/tv shows. My iPod I use the most often, about 3 hours a day becoming completely absorbed in music,  one of my greatest passions. Being completely absorbed in punk rock is great fun but it sure can be dangerous (luckily not for me - yet!). Ipod oblivion is to blame for many road accidents (BBC 2010).

Finally, in regard to humans becoming cyborgs feel I might be seeing the beginnings of it. Haraways says a cyborg is ‘a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction’ (Routledge, 1991). I see this when people escape their own realities online by altering their attitude and/or appearance to interact with others.

In summary, I believe real relationship building is healthy and important and mobile devices can both enhance and disengage the experiences.

• TELL ME: Does solitude have as much value as I give it credit for?
• BACK CHECK: ‘Next Monday I’ll reveal my plan of action for making the best out of virtual communities online.’ : As Mum has told me time and time again - it’s all about moderation. I think the best plan of action is to appreciate and be involved in these communities but to be aware of their value. Also, to use these online communities as a platform for getting involved in real communities.

REFERENCES:

Bryant, N. 2010. How dangerous is it to walk, talk and listen?. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10463227 [Accessed: 17 Nov 2013].       

Forever Alone. 2013. Sebastian's Games, [blog] September 7th, Available at: http://sebastiansgames.com/blog/forever-alone/ [Accessed: 25 Nov 2013].

Routledge. 1991. Haraway, Donna. "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century". Simians, Cyborgs, and Women.. [online] Available at: http://www.stumptuous.com/comps/cyborg.html [Accessed: 17 Nov 2013].       

TED. 2012. Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone?. [video online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Xr3AsBEK4 [Accessed: 17 Nov 2013].