Connecting Through Technology: Real or Not?

I visited Urth Cafe over the weekend and as I was scanning my surroundings, I noticed that most of the single people present were completely engrossed with their gadgets, iPhones mostly.

The statement I receive from observing this behavior is, "Even though I'm here by myself, don't judge me as being a loner. I'm "connected" to the entire world through my gadget. I don't have to look at you, to notice, that you notice my loneliness."

It's strange to be connected but at the same time not be connected. Like the picture below, regardless of the type of relationship these two individuals have, they were more involved with their computer than with each other. They arrived together, they sat down with each other, but there was a wall made of laptops between them. They didn't look at each other, they didn't speak to each other, and the guy even had headphones on.

Are we going to let these devices that are supposed to connect us take away our opportunity to look around? Are we are going to let them tell us how to be?

Connecting through technology let us remain "safe" and not show our vulnerability to each other. If we don't want to communicate with someone we can just "delete" them and pretend they never happened.

All this technology, online social networking, and texting have become the fastfood of connection. They are readily available and satiate your hunger, however, its's fake, has zero nourishment, and very soon you'll be feeling empty again.

I hope that one day we get to the point where our differences are seen as beautiful and not as a threat, so that we can connect in a true way.

This TED Talk is great Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone?