In the article “The Quality of Online Social Relationships” (2000) by Jonathon N. Cummings et al., the relationship strength between two parties is examined in a financial institution and in a college environment using different communication methods (face-to-face, phone and e-mail). A lot of the conclusions made by the study seem obvious to me, but it goes to prove its focal point thoroughly enough—that e-mail or Internet (online) communication is never as personal as a real, person-to-person talk can be. Work and productivity is a different story, though, and I’m sure we’ve all see it go one way or the other when we are plugged into the Internet.
One point I wanted to highlight was about the closeness between people that can’t be reliably communicated by electronic, virtual means. Relationships of all kinds build upon the expressions and personalities that we see amongst one another in real-life situations, and as much as text-based messaging tries to capture it, the lack of a “human” aspect makes it secondary for getting close to somebody. It is quite clear by their study and through any of our own real-world experiences that communication with online Internet partners doesn’t hold the same closeness that real-life participation does. The occasional story breaks out that defies this—the couple that met through Facebook before deciding to meet in-person and take the next step forward, for example. Times will surely change, but as it stands, online communication facilitates real-world communication for me, and I’m sure it’s the case for many others. For work-related issues, however, e-mail has been used for decades, and it was not surprising to see that a financial firm had no problems getting work done over e-mail in addition to in-person or through phone conferences.
The other point I wanted to cover was about the frequency of communication that the study focused on. The more we talk to people, the more we get in touch with how they respond to us as well as how we respond to them. “frequency of communication predicted psychological closeness for offline relationships, but not for online ones” (12), and I can agree with that statement. I have made numerous acquaintances in different online message boards and instant messaging arenas, not to mention social networking sites, that I either have not met in real life or only had minimal ties with in real life. The frequency of communication with me and these “online partners” may have been strong in the beginning, but the lack of a close relationship with them lowered my frequency of communication. It’s always eventually turned to those that I have met and communicate with in real life that online communication helps out with.
The quality of online social relationships is not as strong as a social relationship in real life, but advances in how those online relationships form (through social networking, video chats, etc.) is sure to change that idea in the future. The lack of a physical presence between two parties hasn’t stopped productivity in a work environment, and it is only a matter of time before that lack of a real-life presence becomes much more common for establishing long-lasting relationships, away from a physical setting.
Your ending statement that “it is only a matter of time before that lack of a real-life presence becomes much more common for establishing long-lasting relationships, away from a physical setting,” got me thinking. I agree it will become much more common; however, I don’t think the long-lasting relationships that occur will be of very high quality, even over time. The quality may improve some once video chats become more prevalent since that allows reading clues such as facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc.; however, to me there is a sense of unreality and artificialness in any mode but in-person communication. And what about the body chemistry that occurs between people? That can’t happen online.
ReplyDeleteLetters, phone calls, texts, emails, chat lines and social media do help to keep people connected and learning about each other, but at what depth of understanding? I dare say somewhat superficial, unless someone pours out their soul in their communication. And who is truly comfortable with that from anyone doing that but a very good friend or family member?