Conversation Cures

Wisdom from the Field #17

Mineral Point, Wisconsin has suffered a tragic loss. If you have the means, please consider supporting the families of the two firefighters we lost here.

In a highly connected world, why are people feeling more alone than ever?

There was hope the Internet would foster a global community. More information available, more communities to participate in… and yet the opposite has happened. People are bombarded with too much information plus it’s quickly communicated via smartphones and social media.

Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, has researched this issue.

She found “when we communicate on screens, we experience a kind of disinhibition. Research tells us that social media decrease self-control just as they cause a momentary spike in self-confidence. This means that online we are tempted to behave in ways that part of us knows will hurt others, but we seem to stop caring.” (p. 166)

The “cure”? Face-to-face conversation. The benefits are many. For example,

“Children need eye contact to develop parts of the brain that are involved with attachment. Without eye contact, there is a persistent sense of disconnection and problems with empathy.” (pg. 170)

Competing Agendas

Since 2020, we have worn masks and kept 3-6 feet distance from each other. When cases are high, we go virtual.

However, this physical health agenda competes with our academic and mental health needs.

Finding compromises seems to be our best option. For example, short bursts of discussion around what kids are reading limits exposure. Similarly, our staff meetings are in person while offering a Zoom option.

Wisdom: Accept what is offered and let go of what is not.

You can view all posts from the Wisdom from the Field series here.