Technology is supposed to make us more connected. We can stay in touch with our friends all the time on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, and, of course, by texting. But are our smartphones actually getting in the way of real socializing? Could technology be making us more alone? In the article "Disruptions: More Connected, Yet More Alone," Nick Bilton writes about a YouTube video that comments on our smart phone-obsessed culture. Last weekend, I was watching television with a few friends, browsing the week's most popular YouTube videos, when a piece in the comedy section called "I Forgot My Phone" caught my eye. As I was about to click play, however, a friend warned: "Oh, don't watch that. I saw it yesterday, and it's really sad." The two-minute video, which has been viewed more than 15 million times, begins with a couple in bed. The woman, played by the comedian and actress Charlene deGuzman, stares silently while her boyfriend pays no mind and checks his smartphone. The subsequent scenes follow Ms. deGuzman through a day that is downright dystopian: people ignore her as they stare at their phones during lunch, at a concert, while bowling, and at a birthday party. (Even the birthday boy is recording the party on his phone.) The clip ends with Ms. deGuzman back in bed with her boyfriend at the end of the day; he is still using his phone. Ms. deGuzman's video makes for some discomfiting viewing. It's a direct hit on our smartphone-obsessed culture, needling us about our addiction to that little screen and suggesting that maybe life is just better led when it is lived rather than viewed. While the clip has funny scenes – a man proposing on a beach while trying to record the special moment on his phone – it is mostly. sad. What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned by reading this article? What question(s) do you have after reading this article? If you were to do a follow-up article, which questions would you answer? Does the perspective presented by this author different from the mainstream narrative (what most people think)? How so? Do you think the author effectively establishes her/his argument? Are there any conclusions that are lacking a premise or sufficient evidence? Explain.
Technology is supposed to make us more connected. We can stay in touch with our friends all the time on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, and, of course, by texting. But are our smartphones actually getting in the way of real socializing? Could technology be making us more alone? In the article "Disruptions: More Connected, Yet More Alone," Nick Bilton writes about a YouTube video that comments on our smart phone-obsessed culture. Last weekend, I was watching television with a few friends, browsing the week's most popular YouTube videos, when a piece in the comedy section called "I Forgot My Phone" caught my eye. As I was about to click play, however, a friend warned: "Oh, don't watch that. I saw it yesterday, and it's really sad." The two-minute video, which has been viewed more than 15 million times, begins with a couple in bed. The woman, played by the comedian and actress Charlene deGuzman, stares silently while her boyfriend pays no mind and checks his smartphone. The subsequent scenes follow Ms. deGuzman through a day that is downright dystopian: people ignore her as they stare at their phones during lunch, at a concert, while bowling, and at a birthday party. (Even the birthday boy is recording the party on his phone.) The clip ends with Ms. deGuzman back in bed with her boyfriend at the end of the day; he is still using his phone. Ms. deGuzman's video makes for some discomfiting viewing. It's a direct hit on our smartphone-obsessed culture, needling us about our addiction to that little screen and suggesting that maybe life is just better led when it is lived rather than viewed. While the clip has funny scenes – a man proposing on a beach while trying to record the special moment on his phone – it is mostly. sad.
What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned by reading this article?
What question(s) do you have after reading this article? If you were to do a follow-up article, which questions would you answer?
Does the perspective presented by this author different from the mainstream narrative (what most people think)? How so?
Do you think the author effectively establishes her/his argument? Are there any conclusions that are lacking a premise or sufficient evidence? Explain.
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