From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
Studying at QUT
- Bachelor of Journalism/Bachelor of Laws - Find out more here
KCB336 Assessment
Annotated Bibliography - Virtual Communication/Interaction: The Social Impact of Online Interaction
Word Count - 1934 (Annotations only)
- Chayko, M. (2002). Connecting: How we form social bonds and communities in the Internet age, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 0791454339
- Through an extensive array of interviews, surveys and experiments conducted both offline and online, Chayko presents her view on how people form relationships and connections through online interaction (eg. chat rooms, newsgroups, discussion forums). Chayko’s main argument is that although the Internet and associated new technologies have changed the way in which humans interact with each other, the underlying premise for forming these relationships (i.e. the need to feel ‘connected’ to another) still remains. One such example of the benefits of chat comes from “Nicole�, one of Chayko’s interviewees:
- I always have all these other people in my life, so I never feel alone. And I always feel they are available. It makes me feel connected. And safe. (Chayko, 2002, p141)
- Chayko reasons that in such a busy society, people often feel ‘cut off’ from others. For such people, online interaction can provide an opportunity to instantly and conveniently connect with others. She further argues that online interaction via email, discussion forms and newsgroups, most often preferred and frequented by introverted people who find it difficult to connect with others in a face-to-face situation.
- Chayko also acknowledges the psychological dangers faced by those who frequently use online interaction (like “Nicole�) or those who use such interaction as their sole connection to others. She argues that this danger is quite minimal when compared to the number of people who connect online and that such various forms of online interaction should not be quickly dismissed as dangerous.
- Gibson, G., Jacobson, R.L, Strate, L. ed. (2003). Communication and Cyberspace: Social Interaction in an Electronic Environment, New Jersey: Hampton Press Inc ISBN 1572733934
- This book contains a collection of articles relating to the history of online communication and the way in which new developments have changed social interaction in the online environment. This book focuses on the theories of communication and explores virtual reality, privacy and the cultural/digital divide that hampers many people from joining online communities. Many of the articles also deal with the hidden dangers of online social interaction, including privacy issues and issues relating to censorship and pornography. Whilst each article addresses different topics, they all retain an underlying message that although there have been many online developments, both technologically and socially, access and control of content are the major barriers to creating an online environment that mirrors everyday life. Below is an excerpt from one of the chapters:
- By erasing the boundaries between what is real and artificial, it creates a series of paradoxical situations that undermine the natural balance of self. (Gibson, Jacobson and Strate, 2003, p229)
- This opening sentence from Sue Barnes’ chapter, Cyberspace: Creating Paradoxes of the Ecology of Self, as it appears in the book, is the cornerstone of her belief of the role of cyberspace. Within the chapter, Barnes explores issues including artificial vs. human, integration of the physical body with the digital self and artificial vs. real behaviour. The arguments and theories specifically relate to the personal and social impact of the different forms of online interaction.
- Semati, M. ed. (2004). New Frontiers in International Communication Theory, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 0742530183
- This resource is a guide to the most up-to-date technological advances in international communications. The focus of the chapters within the book lies predominantly with communication theories and criticisms of international interaction as well as virtual environments and sustainability.
- A chapter that is extremely relevant to studies of social and cultural interaction online is Marwan Kraidy’s From Culture to Hybridity in International Communication. In this chapter, Kraidy explores ideas surrounding the creation of an ‘acultural’ society where cultures are a hybrid to those which are easily recognisable in day-to-day life. However, although Kraidy does not specifically address the social implications of the theories relating to international communications, he does provides a general overview of the major factors involved in online communications.
- Furthermore, other chapters including Sujatha Sosale’s Toward a Critical Genealogy discuss new media and its role in changing language conventions in day-to-day communication. Sosale’s chapter includes a short history of international communications and networks. Together, the articles in this book provide a good general overview of issues and approaches to international, long-distance communication.
Bakardjieva, M. (2003). “Virtual Togetherness: an everyday-life perspective� Media Culture & Society, 25(3):2 91 retrieved 1 August, 2004 from http://search.epnet.com.gateway.library.qut.edu.au/direct.asp?an=9664547&db=afh ISSN 01634437
- Bakardjieva, an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary present an article that explores ideas of virtual communities and the advantages and disadvantages of online interaction. Her main focus is the way in which Internet users approach online interaction. Through case studies, Bakardjieva shows that interaction comes from a myriad of needs, wants and ideologies on behalf of the users. She further argues that virtual communities and online interaction are extensions of face-to-face contact and that society should embrace and appreciate that new ways of interaction exist. Bakardjieva also highlights various new tools that are allowing people to attain anonymity through online communications. She critically examines a number of online chat excerpts and online behaviours to highlight that users of online interaction do not see the ‘virtual’ element to be a hindrance to forming relationships.
- They [the user’s in the case study] were ready and eager, each one to a different extent and with different degrees of rationalisation, to trade that privateness [of the family unit] for human contact, community and broader social involvement [online]. (Bakardjieva, 2003, p305)
- However, Bakardjieva also addresses the issue of privacy and initial complacency with online communication. She reasons that the main cause of fear by those in the case study was a general naivety regarding the consequences of their ‘actions’ online. For example, Jane, a 36-year-old housewife:
- I just made a comment but I didn’t like the idea because I realised that anybody could read my comment and send me an email. I didn’t make any more comments. (Bakardjieva, 2003, p306)
- In this way, Bakardjieva presents a well-reasoned and well-balanced article that provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the social implications of online communities/interaction.
Chan, D.K.S., Cheng, G.H.L. (2004) “A comparison of offline and online friendship qualities at different stages of relationship development� Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 21(3)305-320 retrieved August 4,2004 from http://ingenta.com/isis/searching/Expand/ingenta?pub=infobike://sage/spr/2004/00000021/00000003/art00002
- As the title suggests, this article compares online and offline relationships and how interaction within these two surroundings differs. Authors Chan and Cheng sampled and surveyed over 160 Internet users who had formed relationships with other people online. The authors ultimately wanted to test the theory that different social environments (i.e. face to face and online) created different types of relationships. From their findings, Chan and Cheng discovered that the constraints of face-to-face interaction (intimidation, convenience and time etc) were some of the main reasons why online relationships were popular.
- Relationships developed through the Internet may in fact be less likely to be subject to the cultural influences reported in the literature, as these cultural differences are predominantly manifested in offline, face-to-face interactions. (Chan and Cheng, 2004, p318)
- The authors noted that their results were consistent with other studies, highlighting the overwhelming response by those surveyed was that offline relationships were more preferable to online relationships.
- The significant main effect of friendship type indicates that our respondents also rated the quality of offline friendships as higher than that of their online friendships. (Chan and Cheng, 2004, p318)
- This article is extremely relevant to the study and investigation of offline and online relationships and how the constraints of those environments work to create two very different forms of social interaction.
Johnson, D.G (1997) Ethics Online Association for Computing Machinery Vol 40, no.1, retrieved August 4, 2004 from http://gateway.proquest.com/gateway.library.qut.edu.au/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqd&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/famt:kev:mtx:jounral&genre=article&rtf_dat=xri:pqd:did=000000010599886&src_dat=xrl:pqil:fmt=text&req_dat:pq_cIntid=14394
- Deborah Johnson’s article addresses various issues concerning online communication and interaction via the various forms of media technology. Johnson is predominantly concerned with the ethical issues that arise from using online communications including defamation, stalking and viruses. Johnson argues that online communication has a wider scope i.e. it has the ability through speed and technology to reach a wider range of people in a wider area. However, the largest and most poignant of the features of online communication is anonymity and the potential associated dangers.
- Johnson argues that although anonymity may be preferable, as it does not involve seeing the person face to face the danger is that a frequent user of online communication may become disconnected to offline society.
- She identifies three main reasons why anonymity creates less than desirable problems.
- Process of tracking and identifying users from online to offline environments is extremely difficult. It creates a veil under which people are not afraid to say what they think and this is not so good when it frees people to behave n undesirable and harmful ways. It contributes to a lack of integrity of online information. (Johnson, 1997)
- As well as discussing briefly issues of trust and variety, Johnson adequately states her case for the dangers and pitfalls of online communication and how offline behaviour can be affected by prolonged online communication usage.
Haythornthwaite, C., Wellman, B ed. (2002) The Internet in Everyday Life, Oxford : Blackwell Publishing ISBN 0631235078
- Haythornthwaite and Wellman’s book is a valuable resource that addresses the sociological impact of the Internet. Three chapters are devoted to online interaction via email, discussion forums and newsgroups. Capitalising on the Net, written by Anabel Quan-Haase and Barry Wellman explores the effect that the Internet has on every day life as well as the way in which people engage with each other online. After extensive research the pair were able to reach two conclusions about online and offline interaction.
- We find that online social contact supplements the frequency of face-to-face and telephone contact. The evidence suggests that as the Internet is incorporated into the routine practices of everyday life, social capital is becoming augmented and more geographically disperse. (Quan-Haase and Wiseman, 2002, p291)
- Essentially, Quan-Haase and Wellman argue that the merging of the Internet in day-to-day life will lead to the weakening of private communities, the decline of public communities and the eventual disengagement from the community altogether.
- The second chapter of particular interest is titled Belonging in Geographic, Ethnic and Internet Spaces. Authors Sorin Mantei and Sandra Ball-Rokeach present their findings from extensive research into the relationship between offline and online social ties within the context of diverse ethnic areas. The pair found that while ethnic differences and identities online are less pronounced than often thought, online ties are still established either knowingly or subconsciously with those of similar ethnic ties.
- A further chapter, Email, Gender and Personal Relationships is extremely critical of the role of gender in online communications. Author Bonka Boneva and Robert Kraut investigate how women engage with online communication technologies. Boneva and Kraut argue:
- Email is having a generally beneficial effect on personal relationships, although more so for women than men. (Boneva and Kraut, 2002, 173)
- Indeed, survey results show that women are more likely than men to use email to communicate with friends and family. The authors contribute this to the different role that men and women play in personal/familial relationships.
Kitchin, R (1998) Cyberspace: the world in wires, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons ISBN 0471978612
- Kitchin’s resource is addresses the issue of online communication within the context of the history of cyberspace culture. In step with many other resources on online interaction. Kitchin argues that the idea of being free of one’s identity is often what is most appealing to frequent users of email, discussion groups etc.
- Cyberspace is a social space free of the constraints of the body, you are accepted on the basis of your written words, not what you look or sound like (Kitchin, 1998, p17).
- Furthermore, he argues that while many may assert that online and offline interaction and relationships are vastly different, there is little difference between the fundamental frameworks and characteristics of forming relationships.
- Cyberspaces are social spaces in which people still meet face-to-face, but under new definitions of both meet and face. (Kitchin, 1998, p17)
- Kitchin also explores the role of virtual communities and how the definition of culture is slowly expanding. He argues that the virtual environment ‘binds users into a common culture whose specialised meanings allow the sharing of imagined realities� (Kitchin, 1998, p87). In other words, the online culture is one that is characterised by hybrid forms of language, race and commonality (both through interests and geography).
Related Wiki Links
Online Social Interaction
Online Social Interaction - Behavioural Effect of Frequent Usage
Online Social Interaction - Chat(MSN)
Online Social Interaction - Forums, Message Boards & Newsgroups
Online Social Interaction - The Virtual Community
Online Social Interaction - Email
Elizabetta Sorbello 20:43, 31 Aug 2004 (EST)
Email Me
