Alone, but not Lonely
In her TED Talk Connected, but Alone? , cultural analyst Sherry Turkle explores (among other things) how digital technology and social media are changing our “capacity for solitude.” She argues that digital technology encourages us to substitute genuine conversation and human interacting for small “sips” of online connection. Despite my general extroversion, I’m thankful to have the ability to feel comfortable alone, and I consistently look forward to spending quality time with myself free from both conversation and online connection. As someone who works with children, I wholeheartedly agree with Turkle’s call to action on teaching kids how to be alone with themselves. It’s important to recognize that loneliness is a feeling , not a state of being, which is to say that loneliness, like all feelings, is caused by thought . By changing the way kids think about being alone, we can help them feel less lonely, perhaps resulting in a lower dependency on digital technol