The Flight from Conversation

The Flight from Conversation was written by Sherry Turkle, who is the professor of the social studies of science and technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The theme in the essay is about the ways people used in conversation. Some people spend communication with friends and family via texting and e-mail and posting while others prefer to talk with friends and family over the phone or face-to-face. She appeals to have more face-to-face communication.

Sherry gives a credibility topic. She starts this point from our daily life since people have conservation with others every day. But few people are well aware of the fact that we have less face-to-face conversation. In order to represent the problem and her position, she gives some examples in families and businessman who stay together, but texting and reading emails. Besides, They doesn't want to be interrupted.  In this case, we can say that people become accustomed to a new way of being "alone together ". In other words, mobile phone locks people into an isolated world. Also, since people are not willing to talk with someone face to face, the human relationships are losing. Therefore, the crisis of conversation is a serious problem should be concerned.

Sherry employs a lot of research about technologies of mobile connection as evidences in her arguments. She also gives her feelings and emotions to analysis her research. Specifically,   before the author states that technology can create illusion of companionship, she gives the fact that a robot can console a woman who lost child and asks the audiences some questions about this example. I can feel the excitement in these questions: Sherry is trying to describe and explain why people rely on machines so much!

The essay is generally logical. First, Sherry starts the problem from our daily and states the negative effects of texting connection. Second, she describes the values and advantages of face-to-face conversation. Third, she employs some research and study to explain the primary cause why so many people rely on technology. Finally, she fundamentally rejects the texting connection and appeal to her position again.