In Steven Johnson’s essay, “Social Connections,” Johnson rebuttals some of the arguments that Thomas Friedman made in his column in The New York Times about how technology brings people closer to those who are far but farther to those who are close. Johnson says that fifteen years before the iPod was created, his rides on the subway were just about the same as they are today. He states that the subway from before the iPod was introduced to people’s daily lives was “not exactly a hotbed of civic discourse” (414). He said that people would engage themselves in other activities like reading, so they would not engage in much conversation with the other passengers on the bus. Finally, Johnson addresses the question about where technology is leading us. He says that the web connects people to others, but it is not just a “matter of bringing disparate parts if the planet into closer contact,” it also “greatly enchance[s] and amplifie[s] the kinds of conversations that happen in real-world neighborhoods” (414-5).
I agree with Johnson’s point about how the invention of the iPod gives us an excuse to not talk to people. Many people on the San Jose State University campus stop people who pass them and ask those people to sign a petition or donate money to an organization. Whenever I see these people, I try to avoid them, but avoiding them hardly ever works. For the last year, I have developed techniques in an attempt to avoid these people; however, these techniques sometimes fail. The only technique that hardly ever fails me is listening to music while passing by. When the petitioners or organization sees me with my earphones in, they almost never stop me. Listening to music on an MP3 player does provide an excuse to avoid those people we do not want to speak to. It helps people not feel guilty for purposely ignoring those around them; it is like an act to justify ignoring someone even though it is the same as purposely avoiding someone.
Another strong point that Johnson made was how the Web creates more conversation between strangers about large projects happening in the real world. I like how Johnson asks the question about how important face-to-face conversation is. In my opinion, face-to-face conversation is just as important as having an online conversation. Of course, online there is no awkward silence or anything, but face-to-face conversations are more spontaneous; they are more random and can reveal more about someone’s personality than an online conversation can. Plus, one of the beauties of face-to-face is that you get to see someone’s reactions to things you say and the tone of his/her voice when he/she is talking. Although Johnson may not believe these subtleties are important, they are because they are another way to show someone’s values. It is easy to notice when someone is trying to hide his/her displeasure when there is a face-to-face encounter compared to an online encounter.
Overall, Steven Johnson’s essay was enjoyable to read and easy to relate to.
