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Online social interaction is a term given to the myriad of ways in which people from all corners of the globe can connect, communicate and form relationships with each other. The popularity of online communication for social purposes is now so high that in some cases, it is rivalling the more traditional approaches to communication eg. post and telephone (Bakardjieva, 2003). Although it will be quite some time before Internet communication surpasses these instituted methods, the impact of these relatively new interactive media cannot be ignored.
Communicating online for social purposes can take many forms that can be loosely grouped into either synchronous or asynchronous methods. Synchronous methods include those that occur in real time and emulate a face-to- face conversation eg. Chat, MSN. Asynchronous methods include those where the message to be communicated is transmitted and read at a later time. The most demonstrative methods of this type of communication include email, discussion forums, newsgroups and message boards]].
The main characteristics of online interaction that set it apart from face-to-face interaction include the broader scope of people who can be connected and the anonymity which text-to-text communication provides (Johnson, 1997). However, this also creates a host of issues surrounding the dangers of trust and privacy.
Online communications and interaction have without a doubt changed the way in which humans engage with each other. Like the advent of the telephone, the Internet has fast become a more convenient and faster way of connecting with people from around the world. Although the purpose Internet has largely expanded and changed since its beginnings as a military and university networking tool, the communicative aspect has retained its importance.
Douglas Engelbert’s foray into hypertext language and formatting in the 1960s heralded a new age in communication theory and practice (Rheingold, 2004). Although it would be quite some time before the present form of interaction would evolve, the first ideas of networking people via computers emerged from the US Department of Defence’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).
From the mid 1970s to the mid 1980’s, those involved in networks were still largely confined to the military, universities and colleges. The most significant development in online interaction and networking was Usenet. As (Rheingoldwrites, such technology allows people to read and respond to specific conversations about specific topics (Rheingold, 2004). There are obvious parallels to the working of email however. However as stated on Internet educational site www.learnthenet.com/ , Usenet is a public form of online communication i.e. the comments a user posts are within a general domain, not a personal inbox. Other forms of such communication and interaction include discussion forums and message boards within individual websites.
The development of email as a communicative tool also stems from the early information network but is perhaps considered a more personalised and private way of communicating with other people online than newsgroups or forums. Commercial email, or emailin its most prevalent and present form, was effectively pioneered in the late 1980s once again for research purposes (Crocker, 2004). Like all other methods of communicating online, it is quite apparent that social usage has now completely eclipsed e-mail’s original purpose.
However, as Internet users saw the potential to use online communications for purposes other than research and business, a market began to develop for a more instantaneous method of communication. Thus, Chat and synchronous communication was born. Working in a similar fashion to a face-to-face conversation, users are able to have a complete text conversation in apparent real time (Suler, 2004). In more recent times, the popularity of such Chat networks as Microsoft Messenger Network (MSN) has expanded at a phenomenal rate. Along with the expansion of Chat networks and the relative ease at which they can be accessed, comes issues of privacy and hidden dangers for children that threaten to diminish the great potential for which the networks were devised.
With all of these innovative ways to connect people there are inevitable concerns and issues surrounding the usage of these media.
There are various methods that allow people to communicate with each other around the world. The central issues and areas associated with online social interaction are almost infinite. Popular topics that are usually most associated with online interaction include the formation of relationships via email,Chat and Usenet newsgroups as well as the dangers involved, including anonymity. As the main tools used for online communication, the evolution and inner workings of these interactive media is very interesting and gives an insight into the way in which communications have become more integrated and convenient.
The issue of the behavioural effects of frequent usage on users is one that in recent times has been highly documented and well researched. There are numerous theories held by many scholars that the more frequent the user, the less inclined they are to engage in face-to-face communication and interaction (Johnson, 1997). Although it may seem to be an overt generalisation or stereotype, there is a solid grounding for such claims based on an extensive array of surveys and research data. This theory can be examined within the context of interpersonal relationships i.e. many frequent users not only prefer online interaction but also have a greater success rate of companionship (Bakardjieva, 2003).
Furthermore, the usage of online forms of interaction also creates in itself an entire community based not on age, race or economic background but on the quantity of postings. This virtual community can become a second home to many frequent users and most users at one stage or another have been part of or observed the hierarchical workings of such communities (Rheingold, 2004). In essence, they serve to emulate face-to-face society.
It is clear that as new technologies develop and integrate within the existing communication technologies, the opportunity for an almost parallel world society to emerge is much more prevalent. As we see the further mainstreaming of Webcams and the greater popularity of VRML (Virtual Reality communications), it can be seen that in the future, users desire to be more connected than ever via computer networks. The achievements in present technologies were only dreamed about or in some cases not even comprehensible when the very early experiments into networks in the 1960s were taking place. Therefore, it is only fair to assume that although there may be many theories pertaining to where technologies concerning online communication may lead, it is relatively uncharted water that awaits – a place only restrained by human imagination and vision.
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
Youth Culture and New Technologies - MSN Messenger
Youth Culture and New Technologies - Email
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Elizabetta Sorbello 17:58, 9 Sep 2004 (EST)
