Interpersonal Communication - Chapter 2 Notes
Mediated Communication: Definition & Context
Social media = electronic platforms where users build online communities.
Mediated communication = any interpersonal exchange via electronic channels (email, text, social networks, video-chat) instead of face to face.
Similarities with Face-to-Face
Serve same goals: physical, social, identity, practical needs.
Follow same process: senders ⇄ receivers, messages, noise, feedback.
Same principles: unintentional messages, irreversibility, impossibility of “not communicating.”
Key Differences
Leaner: fewer non-verbal cues ⇒ more room for misinterpretation.
Variable synchronicity: synchronous (phone, video) vs asynchronous (email, posts).
Permanence & publicity: digital trail can last indefinitely.
Relational Consequences
Disinhibition: online bluntness / honesty rises.
Hyperpersonal effect: faster, deeper self-disclosure; can idealize partners.
Benefits of Mediated Channels
Expanded relational opportunities (dating, niche communities).
Easy maintenance of existing ties (texts, posts, blogs).
Social support networks for health, addiction, crisis.
Drawbacks
Superficial ties: people can only manage ≈ 150 stable relationships (Dunbar).
Potential social isolation when online use replaces face time.
Relational strain: distraction, jealousy, online affairs.
Deception: selective self-presentation, catfishing.
Harassment: cyberstalking & cyberbullying; serious psychological harm.
Privacy risks: permanent posts, employer screening, sexting fallout.
User Differences
Gender: women → more emotion words & personal pronouns; men → more objects, large words, swearing.
Age: digital natives prefer texting & social media; older users lean on email/phone. Topic focus shifts from school → work → family across lifespan.
Competent Online Communication
Netiquette: give undivided attention, keep tone civil, avoid bystander intrusion.
Protect self: think before posting, doubt unverifiable info, weigh warranting value, balance screen time with face time.
Essential Terms (know definitions)
Asynchronous: Communication where there is a time gap between when a message is sent and when it is received and responded to, such as email or social media posts.
Cyberbullying: Deliberate, repeated, and hostile actions carried out by means of electronic communication, causing psychological or emotional harm.
Cyberstalking: Using electronic communication to repeatedly harass or threaten an individual, often involving monitoring and unwanted contact.
Disinhibition: The tendency to express messages more bluntly or honestly when communicating online than in face-to-face interactions, due to a sense of anonymity or detachment.
Hyperpersonal communication: An accelerated and more intimate self-disclosure that occurs in mediated communication, leading to a faster and deeper connection, sometimes resulting in an idealized perception of the other person.
Leanness: Refers to communication channels that carry fewer non-verbal cues (e.g., facial expressions, tone of voice), leading to more potential for misinterpretation.
Mediated communication: Any interpersonal exchange that occurs through electronic channels (such as email, text messages, social networks, or video chat) rather than face-to-face.
Online surveillance: The act of monitoring someone's online activities without their knowledge, often related to privacy risks where digital trails can be used by employers or others.
Richness: Refers to communication channels that carry a high number of non-verbal cues, mirroring the comprehensive nature of face-to-face communication.
Social media: Electronic platforms that allow users to build online communities and share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.
Synchronicity: Refers to communication where there is no time lag between when a message is sent and when it is received, such as a phone call or video chat.