In class we came to the conclusion that the only research-backed part of Freud's theory is the part about defense mechanisms. So, I will focus on that. In Alone Together, Turkle said that, over time, she has perceived a growing trend of people being willing to engage with machines as substitutes for people. It strikes me that one possible consequence of increased interaction with technology and decreased dependence on other people would be a decrease in our very need for defense mechanisms. According to Freud, we use defense mechanisms to combat anxiety about conforming to social norms. As cell phones and the internet allow us more control over who we speak with and when, will we experience the same kind of anxiety or as much of it as we experienced before technology?
In class we came to the conclusion that the only research-backed part of Freud's theory is the part about defense mechanisms. So, I will focus on that. In Alone Together, Turkle said that, over time, she has perceived a growing trend of people being willing to engage with machines as substitutes for people. It strikes me that one possible consequence of increased interaction with technology and decreased dependence on other people would be a decrease in our very need for defense mechanisms. According to Freud, we use defense mechanisms to combat anxiety about conforming to social norms. As cell phones and the internet allow us more control over who we speak with and when, will we experience the same kind of anxiety or as much of it as we experienced before technology?
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