A Dystopian Society: The Challenge Of Absent Presence

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Introduction
We live within an era of great technological achievement. As new devices and forms of communication are developed, our society evolves along side. Technological determinists argue that technology is bringing us into a dystopia. Social constructionists, however, argue that we are entering a utopia of communication; a world full of connections regardless of distance and self. In addition, there are those that argue we will remain within our syntopian world, one with a virtual equilibrium between man and machine. Despite the perception of the world we are moving into, there are evident symbiotic relationships that we have with our devices and their applications: both good and bad. For the purposes of this paper however, we will dissect how our relationships with our devices affects sociology. Specifically, we will be identifying and explaining a term that has become known as absent presence.
What is Absent Presence? We are all aware of how obsessed, if you will, today’s generation is with devices and their applications. When sitting in …show more content…

You may be able to recall a situation in which a friend felt ignored and as result, began the classic “silent-treatment.” We tend to measure the strength of our relationships by the level of intimacy that we have reached within said relationships. In his article titled “The Challenge of Absent Presence” (2002), Kenneth Gergen describes two types of relationships: horizontal and vertical. The vertical concept depicts a relationship that is developed by stacking various levels of dedication ranging from attention, to commitment, to sacrifice. This vertical register is obviously contingent on each partner’s undivided focus and is thus a deeper social connection. The horizontal register, on the other hand, is concerned with less deep and more scattered forms of relationships. These relationships can be those made online because of their impersonal

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