Part 2: Networked: In Intimacy, New Solitudes

In part two of the book, Turkle examines how we have grown to become dependent on technology as a means of communication. In an interview with a teenage girl, the author found the cell phone is no longer just a tool, but now “the phone is her friend and that friends take on identities through her phone” (176). As discussed by Craig Watkins in the chapter of his book The Young and the Digital, technological advancements allow us to have access to “anywhere, anytime technology,” keeping us glued to our devices, constantly in contact with the virtual world around us (Watkins). This increased availability of having these resources has lead to a sense of inability to disconnect. One woman who Turkle interviewed described how she wanted to take a vacation from work to completely disconnect, against her bosses wishes, but couldn’t find a good enough reason to tell  everyone she wouldn’t be able to be contacted because nearly every destination offers wifi or cell service. Others felt that even being asked “to disconnect even momentarily from the cast swirl of content and comrades they engage throughout the day generates anxiety, discomfort, and cultural alienation.” (Watkins). 

For more information from Watkin, the book can be purchased by visiting this link"
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/young-and-the-digital-s-craig-watkins/1100313727

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