66 pages • 2 hours read
Sherry TurkleReclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
What does Turkle mean when she says we “have embarked on a giant experiment in which our children are human subjects” (16)?
How does solitude differ from isolation? While developing your answer, refer to the metaphor of Thoreau’s chairs.
How does technology interfere with the various types of relationships presented in the book?
Discuss Turkle’s stance on boredom. When is boredom a good thing in the context of Reclaiming Conversation?
Describe the differences between connection and conversation in the context of the book.
How can social media change the nature of friendships? Cite three examples from the text.
Teachers at various schools report decreased empathy among their students. What does Turkle believe is happening, and what is her line of reasoning in reaching that conclusion? How does it relate to Thoreau’s chairs?
Which of Turkle’s recommendations did you find the most persuasive? Why? Are there any predicaments within the text where those recommendations wouldn’t be viable solutions?
Can there be intimacy in the absence of privacy? Why or why not?
What are the negative implications of creating robots as companions? Why is Turkle skeptical of the prospect?
Related Titles
By Sherry Turkle
