Rhetorical Analysis Paper On Sherry Turkle’s Speech Connected, But Alone

Analysis, Pages 3 (564 words)

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In a 2012 TED talk Sherry Turkle spoke about how people have become so enamored with technology and was able to successfully talk about it without picking aside, this enabled her to bring up several amazing points from both sides of the argument without having to condemn one side completely. Turkle introduces her topic by talking about how her daughter sent a text saying “Mom you will rock.” and how it felt like a virtual hug. She then goes on to talk about how people are learning to be alone together.

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Sherry Turkle was not just speaking to those attending her TED talk, she was trying to send a message to the general technology using public. She wanted to bring attention to the role of cell phones and technology in our daily lives and how it has changed. Throughout her talk Turkle is not overly one-sided about this topic she brings up several points for both sides but appears to walk the middle ground until the very end when she expresses how disturbing it was to watch an elderly woman confide and seek comfort in a robot about the loss of her child, Turkle says “I didn’t find it amazing; I found it one of the most wrenching, complicated moments in my 15 years of work… Why have things come to this?” During the entire presentation, certain quotes are displayed on the board beside Turkle, they help place an emphasis on what she’s saying and really help to make the audience think.

When she displays the quote saying “Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation.” she manages to paint a picture showing just how far society has come to depend on our communication devices. She uses pathos as she describes a ‘virtual hug’ from her daughter and as she discusses how she witnessed a sociable robot in the form of a baby seal providing comfort to an elderly woman, something that has never, will never, experience life or death.

Turkle manages to make the audience feel what she felt and understand why she felt the way she did. She uses logos as she has an example for each of her points, she included more than just a small, personal, narrative, she went on to use the narratives to segway into the next topic and tie everything back together when she starts to discuss her conclusion. She uses ethos when she mentions her 15 years of study about mobile communication and some of the work she's done and then towards the end of her talk she once again mentions how she has spent 15 years researching this topic, she doesn't just rely on her position as a speaker to be a credible source of information.

Overall I liked how Turkle was neutral but objective. She managed to open my eyes to how dependent I have become on my phone, seeking the contact of others who aren’t physically with me. It becomes even more relatable as I realize that I do feel closer to people on my phone than people who are physically sitting right next to me and trying to have an actual conversation. In a way I find myself agreeing with the businessman when he tells Turkle “I’m the one who doesn't want to be interrupted... I’d rather just do things on my blackberry.”