Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the many kinds of technology that you use on a daily basis: Your cell phone, computer, social media, video games, and everything in between. Many sociologists and psychologists warn of the dangers of technology, claiming that it affects our ability to connect with one another and can in fact exacerbate loneliness and isolation in people. Do you agree or disagree?

Teaching Suggestion: This question will get students thinking about Technology’s Power to Connect and Separate. A, the protagonist of the book, has a special relationship to their e-mail. If possible, lead the discussion toward students’ relationship to their e-mail. As you move through the conversation, encourage students to consider both sides of the debate equally, giving equal weight to exploring ways in which technology has brought them together and it has driven them apart.

• The CNET article “How Tech and Social Media Are Making Us Feel Lonelier Than Ever” discusses the paradox of modern-day connection through technology: We now have the capability of connecting with each other 24/7, and yet many people report feeling more lonely than ever.