Always-On/Always-On-You: The Tethered Self (Turkle)

In Always-On/Always-On-You: The Tethered Self, (Phoning It In) Turkle states that we are always working on our identity and that the technology and the devices that we use become a badge of our networks. Our "contact lists" and the potential to make new friends comforts us even when we are not using our devices. Turkle concludes this section by pointing out that without our devices we feel lost, we are not so much limited to our devices as we are the satisfaction that they offer us when we are online.

I understand what Turkle means when she says that we are always working on our identity. We all update and change our profiles and identities all the time. This happens because we are all growing older and evolving everyday. The more comfortable we are with our devices the easier it is to express ourselves. Turkle says that for many it is easier to express themselves when it comes to intimacy in the virtual world than it is in real life. I also like the idea that you can be a loner yet not alone. To me the word loner sounds sad and depressing, and maybe it used to be in the past. But today, I don't think there's a problem with being a loner or introvert. If a person is shy and uncomfortable talking face to face with strangers, being able to communicate online opens a whole new world for loners, introverts, and shy people. The gratification and satisfaction that we all get from our devices is enjoyable and it helps us to really be ourselves and forget about the fear of face to face contact. For me personally I am able to express myself very well to people I am close to face to face, and I am able to express myself better online to strangers than face to face. Turkle says that we are more attached to our sites than we are the people on them. This is true for me, I feel a sense of comfort having all my friends on my contact list, but I am more attached to the device than I am most of the people on my contact list.

http://web.mit.edu/sturkle/www/pdfsforstwebpage/ST_Always%20On.pdf