I’ve been working my way through an excellent book, Reclaiming Conversation, by Sherry Turkle. The book analyzes how we often turn away from each other and spend too much time on our phones. By doing this, we are losing our passion for conversation. Gone are the days when we can have face to face conversations. Without these conversations, our lives are conducted through passive aggressive emails. Often, we use our phones to avoid confrontation. Some people even agree to have any disagreements over text messages.
Ms. Turkle prepared a good list of 13 “guideposts” for us to think about.
Guideposts
- Remember the power of your phone. It’s not an accessory.
- Slow Down
- Protect your creativity. Take your time and take quiet time. Find your own agenda and keep your own pace.
- Create sacred spaces for conversation.
- Think of unitasking as the next big thing.
- Talk to people with whom you don’t agree.
- Obey the 7 Minutes Rule (it takes 7 minutes to see how a conversation will unfold).
- Challenge a view of the world as apps.
- Choose the right tool for the job.
- Learn from moments of friction.
- Remember what you know about life.
- Don’t avoid difficult conversations.
- Try to avoid all-or-nothing thinking.
I highly recommend picking up the book so you can get some more context on these guideposts and how you can apply them to your life.
