Communication and Connectedness: The Real and the Virtual
Computers and other digital technologies, rightly called ‘just tools’, do ingenious things, but are they changing our sense of humanity? For millennia, face-to-face communication was our only means for connecting with each other. Two consequences of the new digital media are the blurring of boundaries between what is virtual and what is real and the creation of what is described as ‘new solitude.’ In this course we will address several questions. What gains and losses do we experience through the use of new technologies? Does the ease of electronic accessibility create or deter connection? How does the blurring of virtual and real boundaries impact inter-personal problem solving, the establishment of values, inter-generational communication, the importance of family, the expression and experience of love, and the way we define meaning in life?