KIM WOODS

Dalila Rosales

“As you disclose more to others, you may become aware of previously untapped issues or feeling” (Bevan & Sole 2014). As you open up to someone you may get feedback from an active listener and come to self-realization. Sometimes, through conversations, we find out more about ourselves rather than just keep our thoughts to ourselves.

You may be as open as you want online and build you’re an image that may or may not even be you. You can sort of control how people perceive you online. Others may use your online image as a way to uplift you or tear you down. You’re also able to connect with a lot more people through social media and you may be more open to sharing personal information online which can create online bonds with strangers or you may have closure with someone that you drifted away from.

We seem to turn to technology to fill the void of being alone. I think of being in a waiting room at a doctor’s office or when I am waiting at the car wash and everyone is on their phones, laptops or tablets. People are not learning how to cope with loneliness or give themselves time to think. Also, being able to have face-to-face conversations allows a person to develop their conversation skills with others which in turn helps develop having a conversation with themselves.

Lavetta Jackson

6/2/2017 7:55:00 PM

What is self-disclosure and how does it allow us to form bonds with others and become more self-aware? Self-disclosure is when your someone express themselves to you. They may tell you something about them that you didn’t know or have some thoughts about things to tell you how they fell about something. When someone gives you detailed information about them or tell you there feeling in-depth. Usually they trust you enough that they know that what they tell you will be between you and them. This sometimes form a bond because you may develop trust feelings for this person yourself because of this. Then you began to give them a little more details about yourself.

How has computer mediated communication (and social media specifically) influenced patterns of self-disclosure and connecting with others: Before we had cell phones and the internet we talked to each other at dinner time. We took walks together and talked. We went to each other houses and talked. Now that we have social media we text more than we talk on the phone. I would say at least 80% of the households don’t even own a landline.  There is face book that you not only talk to people you know, but people you never even met before. You can hold long conversation with just as if you knew there forever over the internet. There are even online dating sites now vs. meeting someone the old way by way of a library or on the job.

Why is self-disclosure and connecting with others important in psychological health?

There are a lot of research that self-disclosure helps us to release tension. It keeps us from being stressed out. People can have poor health just from holding in a lot of emotions. For example, I had a friend who passed away. She was elderly. Her daughter was very close to her. They were so close that they had planned and started paying on their grave site plot years prior to the mother passing away. The daughter was so distraught. She wasn’t married and had no kids. The only person she had in her life was her mom. A week after her mom passed, she was found in the bathroom unconscious. The doctors stated she died of a broken heart. I think it is a good idea to really express yourself and seek counseling when these things happen.