Turkle V. Wesch: Allies or Opponents

Sherry Turkle and Michael Wesch approach technology's role from two different view points:




Turkle believes that technology prevents human interaction and conversation, and Wesch sees technology as a platform for dialogue and interaction. Neither professor goes out of their way to attack technology, but they do take different points of views to what it does to face-to-face interactions.

Turkle argues that people are constantly attached to their devices and seem to have lost the art of having conversations as well as being alone. She points out how when we are alone for more than a few minutes, we  reach for our devices.











She illustrates her point by using  the example of a man who claims that people in his office don't want to be bothered, but after a minute of self-reflection writes, “I’m not telling the truth. I’m the one who doesn’t want to be interrupted. I think I should. But I’d rather just do things on my BlackBerry.” She points out that young people, as in the case of the sixteen-year-old boy she mentions, would like to "learn how to have a conversation."


Solution: Turkle argues that we must have technology-free zones in our homes or cars, and take a stance for a no-technology day (or even hour) in our classrooms or offices, from time to time.




Wesch agrees with Turkle that connecting with people, especially our students, has become more of a challenge in this day and age when the first questions being asked in the classroom are; "Is this going to be on the test?" He believes the traditional teacher standing in front of the class  model no longer works with students who text right in front of their teachers or use class time to go on Facebook. 

Wesch's Solution: He says that we need to change the physical layout of our classrooms and rid ourselves of the old mold; we need to recreate a community where we are all on our devices simultaneously together. In this way, he  contradicts Turkle's notion that we are "alone together." He says that educators need to think of ways to inspire our students, so why not use a platform with which they are comfortable?



I believe that both authors share valid and equally important points. There is a time and place for technology, and, as Turkle states, there is a time and place without it. I think they could become allies if they illustrated their points face to face.