Conversing in the Digital Age

     There is hope to getting back the art of conversation, but it will require thoughtful and intended purpose. Many young people do appreciate being gathered together with their friends in person, but they also tend to reach for their phones when they are bored or feel they are not required to add to the conversations at hand.      This book discusses studies that have shown that the ability to empathize is being lost when people do not  experience the repercussions of their texts in person and this is leading to a culture of people who do not appreciate the value of face to face conversations. Too often, texted conversations are those that have been thought out meticulously and maybe even often proof-read by a friend. How is this honest communication between two people?       The author interviews people between the ages of 18- 35, ( those who have grown up with cell phones), and discovers that mobile devices are definitely a too...

     The purpose of this Blog will be to discuss how the decline of face to face conversations,(using mobile devices) is negatively affecting our ability to empathize. Reclaiming Conversation by Sherry Turkle examines this very thought and through her interviews and research, she makes a good case. As an experienced educator, I have witnessed how students use their cell phones as a crutch and a way to avoid eye contact with those they are communicating with. Cyber bullying is at an all time high because people can simply type their mean thoughts and hit send and never have to witness the hurt on someone's face. This is a problem that schools (and social media platforms)  all over the world are dealing with on a daily basis.     I do feel that we are losing the art of communication due to our reliance on online media for information and the ability to converse with others by simply texting. But so much is lost when conversing with just text. We have all exp...