"The Nostalgia of the Young"

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This chapter of Alone Together by Sherry Turkle is one of the most interesting to me by far. In this chapter we are introduced to two women who went to college together Robin and Joanne. After college Joanne's dissertation research took her to Thailand were she only had email access. Joanne would send detailed email messages to Robin during her time in Thailand, her second time in Thailand on a new project she posted a biweekly journal on Facebook. In today's society many people relive life events on Social Networks, through online albums, and even video blogs. Robin said she was " jealous of all of the other readers." Robin and Joanne lost that personal connection that an detailed email gave them. The thought that even kids think the same thing was one that was new to me. I think that the name of the chapter says it all. 

"The Nostalgia of the Young"

Its not uncommon to receive a funny text or email like this one from a friend, someone at work, or a sibling. Children as young as 8 and 9 receive and send text messages just as much as there parents do. So when this chapter talked about kids wanting to go back to the time "before texting". Brad a senior we were introduced to in this chapter said "digital life cheats people out of learning how to read a persons face" He says "online life inhibits authenticity." With technology today i would have to disagree with those quotes. Here is an apple ad for the iPhone 4s where a teenager goes from not knowing how to play the guitar to completely changing his personality by using Siri. 

This not only goes to show how technology can change someone but also how we always are connected to technology. Another person we met in this chapter was Robin as 26 year old ad agent worker. Her job demands that she has access to her Blackberry to stay in touch all the time. She says that "If I'm not in touch, I feel dizzy, as though something is wrong, something terrible is wrong.". Is this because we have become so dependent on technology to get out of out bad situations, find out where we are, or remind us to go back to a certain place?

With all the new things that technology has to offer i think personally that it is the technology that is ultimately starting the role reversal that is being displayed in this chapter. Now kids are trying to get their parents away from the devices but it is so difficult because these devices are so apart of our everyday life. I do think that we live in a different life where technology connects us even if were right next to each other, and i think that it will be hard to go back to a time "before texting". Where we mailed each other letter and detailed emails only because it is so easier and accessible to send things online.