--- title: "Sherry Turkle’s Continued Communication Conversation" id: "30597" type: "post" slug: "sherry-turkles-continued-communication-conversation" published_at: "2015-10-08T21:53:46+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T14:50:53+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/10/08/sherry-turkles-continued-communication-conversation/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/10/08/sherry-turkles-continued-communication-conversation.md" excerpt: "An expert familiar to Associations Now readers continues the conversation about the challenges of digital communication. Plus: a new way to express yourself on Facebook." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Digital Communication" - "Relationships" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Sherry Turkle’s Continued Communication Conversation We’ve covered psychologist and writer Sherry Turkle before, particularly after her [conversation-starting keynote](http://associationsnow.com/2015/08/less-tweeting-talking-empathy-shelly-turkle/) during ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in August. In [a recent interview with Longreads writer Jessica Gross (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.longreads.com/2015/10/06/relearning-how-to-talk-in-the-age-of-smartphone-addiction/?curator=MediaREDEF) , Turkle adds to her argument that too much attention paid to smartphones steers us away from more meaningful relationships. “One way that technology interferes with us is that we use it when we are together, and so it interferes with our communication with each other, which is the ‘alone together’ argument I’ve made for years,” Turkle said. “And then technology *also* interferes because we use it when we’re alone.” She notes out that we often forget that our smartphones and machines don’t have feelings. We share our feelings, but the devices are unable to reciprocate or empathize. They’re simply not listening. Turkle’s remarks about moderation and tech echo her annual meeting address. [As Associations Now editor-in-chief Julie Shoop noted](http://associationsnow.com/2015/08/less-tweeting-talking-empathy-shelly-turkle/) about that speech, Turkle has concluded “that while digital technology has enabled a multitude of new ways to communicate and ushered in vast online communities where people connect, it has made it more difficult for people to engage in deeper conversations and form more meaningful relationships with others.” And while [there’s a counterargument to Turkle’s line of thinking](http://associationsnow.com/2015/08/defense-active-social-voice/) , her [full interview with Gross (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.longreads.com/2015/10/06/relearning-how-to-talk-in-the-age-of-smartphone-addiction/) is well worth a read. ### Reaction of the Day There’s a new way to communicate on Facebook. After grabbing headlines with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s [somewhat muddled statement](http://associationsnow.com/2015/09/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-dislike-leadership/) that led many to think the social network was deploying a Dislike button, [Facebook announced today (opens in a new tab)](https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/10/news-feed-fyi-how-the-reactions-test-will-impact-ranking/) that it will be testing an extension of the Like button called Reactions. ### Other Good Reads **You may love your friends and family,**but doing business with them can be a challenge. *Inc.* writer Will Yakowicz [shares five tips on how to work with loved ones (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/the-dark-side-of-doing-business-with-friends.html) . **Are you burdened by ideas that you never bring to fruition?** Patrick Allan looks at [some strategies on idea management in this post on Lifehacker (opens in a new tab)](http://lifehacker.com/form-your-best-ideas-with-a-monthly-idea-rundown-1735275538) , including mapping out your ideas monthly or using an idea bank. **Stores take note:** [The National Retail Federation predicts (opens in a new tab)](https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/national-retail-federation-forecasts-holiday-sales-increase-37) that holiday spending growth will be 3.7 percent, less than last year. That’s more than the 10-year average of 2.5 percent, but “the fact remains consumers still have the weight of the economy on their minds,” said CEO Matthew Shay, CAE. (Startup Stock Photos/ThinkStock) [Patrick deHahn](https://associationsnow.com/author/patrick-dehahn/) Patrick deHahn is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/patrick-dehahn/) Tags: [#Digital Communication](https://associationsnow.com/tag/digital-communication/) [#Relationships](https://associationsnow.com/tag/relationships/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) - [VideoLeveraging Local and Regional Component Relations During COVID-19: A CEO DialogueJuly 24, 2020](https://associationsnow.com/2020/07/24/leveraging-local-and-regional-component-relations-during-covid-19-a-ceo-dialogue/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F10%2F08%2Fsherry-turkles-continued-communication-conversation%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !