Old* People Obsessed With Talking Out Loud

We are tempted to think that our little “sips” of online connection add up to a big gulp of real conversation. But they don’t. E-mail, Twitter, Facebook, all of these have their places — in politics, commerce, romance and friendship. But no matter how valuable, they do not substitute for conversation.

Another day, another popular piece about the lonely sterility of the internet versus the good old days. This one’s by Sherry Turkle for the New York Times, and she ends it with a half-hearted call for “conversational Thursdays” (casual Fridays’ socially inept little sister), among other proposed solutions. It’s a nice piece, like the Atlantic one with the amazing pictures, but they ultimately seem like a lot of sweet words to nod at, as this train does not appear to be stopping. Also Turkle might enjoy Tumblr.

*Over 15.