Alone but all together: these virtual worlds that bring us together and separate us
Blocquaux, Stéphane
Alone but all together: these virtual worlds that bring us together and separate us - 2022.
2
Omnipresent in most French homes, connected screens are profoundly changing inter-family relations. While we do not question their educational qualities or their entertainment potential, we do question the paradox inherent in their distanced mode of operation as a potential source of separation between members of the same household. For although digital connectivity is often presented, especially by the industries that support it, as a vector for strengthening relations between humans, does it not, at the same time, encourage a form of “fictitious proximity” in terms of inter-family relations? Is there not a risk of it undermining the necessary physical contact and all the forms of non-verbal communication present in more traditional and more direct mediations? We therefore recommend both a moderate use of digital tools and the need to address urgently, at the highest political level, the issues related to virtual education.
Alone but all together: these virtual worlds that bring us together and separate us - 2022.
2
Omnipresent in most French homes, connected screens are profoundly changing inter-family relations. While we do not question their educational qualities or their entertainment potential, we do question the paradox inherent in their distanced mode of operation as a potential source of separation between members of the same household. For although digital connectivity is often presented, especially by the industries that support it, as a vector for strengthening relations between humans, does it not, at the same time, encourage a form of “fictitious proximity” in terms of inter-family relations? Is there not a risk of it undermining the necessary physical contact and all the forms of non-verbal communication present in more traditional and more direct mediations? We therefore recommend both a moderate use of digital tools and the need to address urgently, at the highest political level, the issues related to virtual education.
Réseaux sociaux