Fundamentals of Communication- Paper

Communication & New Technologies

Chapter

Computer Mediated Communication

• Digital refers to information that has been translated into a numerical code using the numbers one and zero.

• Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) can be transmitted over the Internet/Cyberspace - a technological network system that relays information between computers worldwide.

• The World Wide Web (WWW) is a service that functions to move information through Internet technology.

• Common computer mediated communication technologies include: e-mail, blogs, bulletin board systems, chats, MMOGS, instant messages, short-messaging service (SMS) or text messages, social networking sites (SNS), and twitter

Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)

• CMC is pervasive & changes how we communicate with others. • CMC technology is rapidly expanding & has been quickly

adopted by communicators. • CMC is used daily in many ways, including: emails and instant

messages, finding and sharing information, entertainment, and financial transactions.

• Blogs are electronic journals that are created and maintained by individuals in order to share information and opinions.

• Podcasts are electronic recordings that are made available using technology so that individuals can transfer the information to personal listening devices.

CMC & Personal Relationships

• The media deficit approach - CMC communication lacks immediacy and rich message cues compared to face-to-face resulting in deficient or lower quality communication.

• CMC is filtered because it lacks nonverbal cues that are important in message interpretation.

• CMC lacks psychological closeness individuals feel during face-to-face interactions.

• Media richness theory notes that various types of media channels have different capacities for carrying verbal and nonverbal message information. Face to face communication is richest medium for communication. CMC channels of email, texts & tweets are the least rich medium for communicatiom.

Media Augmentation

• The media augmentation approach contends that individuals use CMC communication to complement or add to face-to-face communication.

• Individuals can use prior relationship information to interpret CMC interactions that do not include nonverbal information.

• Asynchronous communication can allow individuals to think about their messages.

• Lack of cues about a person’s appearance can reduce prejudice, discrimination, & stereotypes when using CMC.

• Media is used in addition to face-to-face, allowing different communication interactions when face-to-face communication is difficult or not an option.

CMC & The Individual

• Individuals have more control over what they do and do not disclose using CMC.

• Anonymity reduces the context for evaluating a message, but might eliminate prejudice or discrimination.

• Spoofing - an individual misrepresents himself/herself on line, sometimes including slanderous or liable statements that are difficult & often impossible to combat with legal sanctions.

• Cyberbullying is “the deliberate and repeated misuse of communication technology by an individual or group to threaten or harm others”

• Pseudoanonymity is the practice of establishing a false identity and can be done for self-protection or as deceptive practice.

Online Impression Management

• Impression management online is different based on individuals’ age, self-esteem & personality.

• Younger individuals engage in more online identity experimentation than older individuals.

• Individuals with low self-esteem are more likely to have greater self-disclosure & exaggerate information online.

• Popular individuals use technology to selectively enhance their self-image & strategically promote their popularity when relating information.

• Employers use social networks to evaluate potential employees, so individuals should be careful about what information they disclose online because it is a public forum.

Relationships & Friendships

• Social networking sites (SNS) are primarily used to maintain existing relationships.

• Internet relationships often develop more quickly than face-to-face relationships with more rapid disclosure & intimacy.

• Internet initiated relationships benefit from face-to-face meetings early in the relationship to prevent unrealistic expectations and idealizations.

• On line dating sites provide individuals an opportunity to meet others with similar interests, fewer barriers to access, & more rapid self-disclosure and intimacy.

CMC & Work

• CMC in the workplace can reduce barriers in talking with superiors & decision makers within an organization.

• Employers can use CMC to monitor employee emails & Internet access.

• CMC can limit access to some types of information & cause misunderstandings.

Power, Access & Digital Divide

• Approximately 25 percent of individuals in America do NOT access the Internet or online services.

• The digital divide is a term used to describe the inequity between individuals that do and do not have access to technology.

• There are demographic differences in who has access to the Internet that can largely be explained by examining variables of age, college education, & income.

• Diffusion of innovations is a theory that explains how new technologies are adopted or resisted by members of a society.

Ethics & CMC

• Online Identity - Although deception might be necessary for self-protection when using the Internet, one should keep in mind the motto “do no harm.”

• Incivility & bullying is an increasing problem on the Internet because users can remain anonymous.

CMC Etiquette

• Mail Etiquette • Avoid sending or forwarding unwanted emails (e.g. jokes or chain emails). • Provide a subject line to give the reader a purpose for your email. • Use proper grammar & spelling to show respect for yourself and your

reader.

• Cell Phone Etiquette – Individuals should be respectful of the message receiver on the phone call and other people in the immediate vicinity

• Evaluating Internet Information – When deciding the credibility of information found on the Internet, one should consider the credibility and motivations behind a message source (Topic of a separate lesson)