Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age

Online, people have the choice to only see information and people they agree with. Turkle used to define the digital version of people as their second self, but she now she sees a screen as a “broken mirror” that reflects a distorted version of something authentic.

“A State of Emergency”

Elizabeth, a graduate student who became involved with online politics in 2012, told Turkle that her organization, Invisible Children, condemned Joseph Kony, who used child soldiers in Uganda. The organization made a video that highlighted his savagery and asked anyone who watched to send money. In exchange, each person would receive a sign with Kony’s face on it. Their rationale was that if enough signs were displayed, the growing awareness of Kony’s evil would create enough pressure to end his reign. Soon the video had nearly 100 million views. However, very few people put up the signs.

After the video’s mass viewership but overall inefficacy, Elizabeth believed that online support does not always materialize.

“Friendship Politics: Things to Buy and Click On”

Sharing happy feelings is not the same as not real political change. Real politics don’t exist without real meetings and conversations. Millions of online likes may not result in other actions.