Rhetorical Analysis Of The Flight From Conversation By Sherry Turkle

Decent Essays
A Rhetorical Analysis of "The Flight from Conversation" In my analysis, I will focus on the article "The Flight from Conversation" by Sherry Turkle published in the New York Times Magazine in April 2012. In this article, Turkle explains the consequences of being constantly connected via technology, gives specific examples to help the reader understand difficult concepts, and explores the differences between conversation and communication. The first claim that Turkle makes is that people now are not content being alone because they are used to being constantly connected. Even when we are by ourselves we can still be connected to other elsewhere, allowing us to have control over where we focus our attention: according to Turkle, the thing we value most (para. 4). I agree with this claim; most people today, having grown up constantly texting/tweeting/posting on social media, feel very isolated when separated from their mobile devices. …show more content…
Her second claim is that there are three powerful fantasies that all humans share: that we will always be heard, that we can put our attention wherever we want it to be, and that we never have to be alone. Turkle feels that one of the main reasons social media has become so popular is because it provides automatic listeners, thus fulfilling all three of the powerful fantasies. I feel that this is true. In addition, ranting on Facebook or Twitter or other forms of social media provides people with vent without the added strain of trying to hold a conversation which requires both give and take (para. 20). Turkle concludes her article with a call to action. She advocates for educating the youth on how to be content when alone and gives examples of how to ensure the next generation

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