Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age

In Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, clinical psychologist Sherry Turkle talks a lot about the way face-to-face conversation changes the way people think about each other. In her interviews, people tell her openly of their disappointment in being ignored by friends who are focused on their phones.

In my own social circles, I've noticed that while people do pull out their phones in the midst of a group game or conversation, they don't always get away with it. They are often berated for it, in fact, and guilted into re-engaging with the people around them. My phone doesn't ring a lot these days, so for me it's less of a distraction!

I recommend this book to readers who want to hear a clear, balanced perspective on the consequences of constantly divided attention on our society. It will give you a lot to think about, and may start a discussion or two.

Quotable:

"But if we don’t have experience with solitude—and this is often the case today—we start to equate loneliness and solitude. This reflects the impoverishment of our experience. If we don’t know the satisfactions of solitude, we only know the panic of loneliness."