New relationships, new selves? and Digital media in relational development and maintenance
The last two chapters explore dyadic relationships and how people present themselves to others online, as well as how people use new media to build and maintain their relationships. The internet is commonly accused of having people that lie about themselves online, due to the amount of anonymity available through the internet. Although there are plenty of people who lie about their entire identity, or bits and pieces of their identity, people still do the same when communication is face to face. Baym discusses different theories as to how the internet is more trustworthy than people think, and may even be more trustworthy than certain aspects of face to face communication.
Baym argues that people are likely to be more honest online than off due to the lack of social cues. Although this sounds contradictory, the fact that reduced cues make it easier to lie also create separation between interactants, which in turn removes social pressures that could make people lie offline. Especially when we are interacting with someone that doesn't know the same people that we do, we are more likely to be honest about ourselves because word won't get around to others if we happen to tell the truth. Baym says that the sense of anonymity online may help with honest self-expression that may be difficult to do offline. Baym cites Ellison, Heino, and Gibbs who interviewed people who used a large online dating site. The results showed that people were generally truthful, but many exaggerated socially appealing qualities. It really comes down to the individual and the circumstance because some people feel free to lie, while some people are more honest online than they are in person. Baym says that most people seem to fall on the side of truthfulness, especially when they are linked to other people through their self-representations. Baym then goes on to briefly discuss the ways in which people use media to build and maintain relationships. When first interacting Baym says that it a lack of social cues may be good when first meeting someone. This is the case because we often size people up and judge them before we even get to know them based on how they look. Baym introduces the term "matching hypothesis" which she describes as people being most motivated to pursue connections with those whose level of physical attraction matches their own, especially in romantic relationships. This is not the case on the internet however due to the lack of social cues. Baym then says that as relationships online develop, we increasingly add new media that allow us to use a wider range of social cues. Baym also offers the idea that online relationships may seem less developed because they are newer.
Baym argues that people are likely to be more honest online than off due to the lack of social cues. Although this sounds contradictory, the fact that reduced cues make it easier to lie also create separation between interactants, which in turn removes social pressures that could make people lie offline. Especially when we are interacting with someone that doesn't know the same people that we do, we are more likely to be honest about ourselves because word won't get around to others if we happen to tell the truth. Baym says that the sense of anonymity online may help with honest self-expression that may be difficult to do offline. Baym cites Ellison, Heino, and Gibbs who interviewed people who used a large online dating site. The results showed that people were generally truthful, but many exaggerated socially appealing qualities. It really comes down to the individual and the circumstance because some people feel free to lie, while some people are more honest online than they are in person. Baym says that most people seem to fall on the side of truthfulness, especially when they are linked to other people through their self-representations. Baym then goes on to briefly discuss the ways in which people use media to build and maintain relationships. When first interacting Baym says that it a lack of social cues may be good when first meeting someone. This is the case because we often size people up and judge them before we even get to know them based on how they look. Baym introduces the term "matching hypothesis" which she describes as people being most motivated to pursue connections with those whose level of physical attraction matches their own, especially in romantic relationships. This is not the case on the internet however due to the lack of social cues. Baym then says that as relationships online develop, we increasingly add new media that allow us to use a wider range of social cues. Baym also offers the idea that online relationships may seem less developed because they are newer.
Baym uses statistics and good examples to illustrate her ideas in the last two chapters. She cites an analysis of 4,540 Facebook profiles of students at Carnegie Mellon University, showing that roughly 89% of user names seemed to be real. Only 8% turned out to be completely false while 3% were partially false. This was good supporting evidence to back up the idea of anonymity on the internet. She also uses a study by Rutter and Smith to back up anonymity on the internet. She says that the idea that anonymity on the internet makes people lie has not been well supported by research. Rutter and Smith studied over 17,000 messages in an online newsgroup and found that fantasy selves were rare. Baym supports the idea that people may be more honest online than offline when she cites another study proving that Americans reported being more honest to loved ones over email than face to face. Although Baym doesn't take a side in any of the chapters, she effectively supports different perspectives on the way media changes our personal relationships by using good supporting evidence.
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