In the virtual world, the Bajan is one mode and eight levels away from the Asian. In the real world, he is twelve hours behind and miles away. Despite these, CMC finds its way to bring them together in real time.
Joe Walther (1996) suggests that CMC can make two people experience more intimate relationship than they would through FTF. This is possible because of the four factors which Walther identified: (1) selective self-presentation; (2) overattribution of similarity; (3) communication on your own time; and (4) self-fulfilling prophecy (Griffin, 2009).
Joe Walther (1996) suggests that CMC can make two people experience more intimate relationship than they would through FTF. This is possible because of the four factors which Walther identified: (1) selective self-presentation; (2) overattribution of similarity; (3) communication on your own time; and (4) self-fulfilling prophecy (Griffin, 2009).
First of all, selective self-presentation is evident in their CMC. Naturally, they are forming impression about each other so they would normally choose which information about themselves they will reveal to each other. When the Bajan said, "I was a gangster, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear that," it means that he was already aware that he must choose carefully which information about himself should be revealed, especially at this early stage when they are still forming impressions about each other.
After a few online discourse, the Bajan started telling more stories and asking the Asian information about her saying, "What about you? Let's not be one-sided here." This shows that he expects her to reveal who she is after he does share more information about himself.
The Bajan, based on his own revelation, which could have been selected carefully prior to communication with her, considered his life now as his "second life." He was hospitalized when he was 15 when someone hit his head with a bottle causing internal bleeding. He said that the doctor told him that if he came 45 minutes late to the hospital, he could have been dead by then. The incident, he claimed, made him unable to talk for eight long months. Until now, he claims that he occasionally feels pain in his brain. He knows it is his brain that hurts at times because it was almost the same pain he felt years ago when he was hospitalized.
Now, 13 years after that incident, he's working and living his own life in what he calls one of the richest islands in that part of the world. He parties just a bit and usually goes out on weekends with the people he works with. He likes drinking vodka on weekends and goes to the virtual world when in the mood. He claims he doesn't talk to anyone in the virtual world -- "not much of a talker" was his term to describe himself. He said he had a son when he was 17 but was never married.
All these information he revealed could be judged by the Asian as bases for creating her concept of what kind of person the Bajan is. With the absence of other cues, Walther (1996) suggests that the Asian is most likely to overattribute the information presented to her. This means that the positive values might be magnified and exaggerated by her.
The third factor that could make more intimate relationship develop through CMC is communication in their own time. The fact that the Bajan and the Asian exist in different time zones, it means that they would have to find a common real time where they could communicate. Normally, they could communicate in real time if the Bajan is on at night or midnight or early morning. If they're not both on at the same time, they would have to communicate through email which doesn't allow communication in real time, but communication in a more delayed time.
Walther (1996) suggests that the time factor could be an advantage in CMC which can eventually make their relationship grow more intimate. With the lack of real time communication, both parties can actually edit what they would be saying to each other. In fact, after a communication with the Bajan, the Asian starts contemplating on what he said and figures out what could be true and which could be lies. Based on her evaluation of the information presented to her, she makes plans on what to tell him on their next real time encounter. This allows misunderstanding to be minimized since the previous communication has been evaluated and the next encounter has been planned.
The fourth factor that Walther (1996) suggests is the self-fulfilling prophecy. This happens when a person's expectation of the other is manifested in real life.
The Asian thinks -- and she told the Bajan about it -- that he is a genius in the virtual world because of his track record. Feeling pleased about this impression which was clearly communicated to him, he might eventually become "genius" in the virtual world although he might have not believed at first that he was such. This self-fulfilling prophecy can eventually transform any of them to become who they were thought to be by the other party.
If the Bajan thinks she's great and he tells her about it, then, she might end up being great, who knows?
The Bajan and the Asian are totally strangers. Both of them rely only on the information each of them chooses to disclose but given enough time, Walther (1996) believes that their relationship can be more intimate than it can possibly be had they met FTF. This is supported by the experiment conducted by Hian, Chuan, Trevor and Detenber (2004). Hian, et. al conducted an experiment comparing FTF and CMC relational development. They found out that "relational intimacy does increase at a faster rate in CMC than in FTF interactions" (2004).
With how things are turning out to be between the Bajan and the Asian, it seems true that CMC can be a venue for an intimate relationship that could have never made possible by FTF.
Indeed, the hyperpersonal perspective of CMC could be for real.
REFERENCES:
Hian, L. Chuan, S. Trevor, T. and Detenber, B. (2004). Getting to know you: Exploring the development of relational intimacy in computer-mediated communication. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 9 (3). Retrieved May 17, 2009 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol9/issue3/detenber.html.
After a few online discourse, the Bajan started telling more stories and asking the Asian information about her saying, "What about you? Let's not be one-sided here." This shows that he expects her to reveal who she is after he does share more information about himself.
The Bajan, based on his own revelation, which could have been selected carefully prior to communication with her, considered his life now as his "second life." He was hospitalized when he was 15 when someone hit his head with a bottle causing internal bleeding. He said that the doctor told him that if he came 45 minutes late to the hospital, he could have been dead by then. The incident, he claimed, made him unable to talk for eight long months. Until now, he claims that he occasionally feels pain in his brain. He knows it is his brain that hurts at times because it was almost the same pain he felt years ago when he was hospitalized.
Now, 13 years after that incident, he's working and living his own life in what he calls one of the richest islands in that part of the world. He parties just a bit and usually goes out on weekends with the people he works with. He likes drinking vodka on weekends and goes to the virtual world when in the mood. He claims he doesn't talk to anyone in the virtual world -- "not much of a talker" was his term to describe himself. He said he had a son when he was 17 but was never married.
All these information he revealed could be judged by the Asian as bases for creating her concept of what kind of person the Bajan is. With the absence of other cues, Walther (1996) suggests that the Asian is most likely to overattribute the information presented to her. This means that the positive values might be magnified and exaggerated by her.
The third factor that could make more intimate relationship develop through CMC is communication in their own time. The fact that the Bajan and the Asian exist in different time zones, it means that they would have to find a common real time where they could communicate. Normally, they could communicate in real time if the Bajan is on at night or midnight or early morning. If they're not both on at the same time, they would have to communicate through email which doesn't allow communication in real time, but communication in a more delayed time.
Walther (1996) suggests that the time factor could be an advantage in CMC which can eventually make their relationship grow more intimate. With the lack of real time communication, both parties can actually edit what they would be saying to each other. In fact, after a communication with the Bajan, the Asian starts contemplating on what he said and figures out what could be true and which could be lies. Based on her evaluation of the information presented to her, she makes plans on what to tell him on their next real time encounter. This allows misunderstanding to be minimized since the previous communication has been evaluated and the next encounter has been planned.
The fourth factor that Walther (1996) suggests is the self-fulfilling prophecy. This happens when a person's expectation of the other is manifested in real life.
The Asian thinks -- and she told the Bajan about it -- that he is a genius in the virtual world because of his track record. Feeling pleased about this impression which was clearly communicated to him, he might eventually become "genius" in the virtual world although he might have not believed at first that he was such. This self-fulfilling prophecy can eventually transform any of them to become who they were thought to be by the other party.
If the Bajan thinks she's great and he tells her about it, then, she might end up being great, who knows?
The Bajan and the Asian are totally strangers. Both of them rely only on the information each of them chooses to disclose but given enough time, Walther (1996) believes that their relationship can be more intimate than it can possibly be had they met FTF. This is supported by the experiment conducted by Hian, Chuan, Trevor and Detenber (2004). Hian, et. al conducted an experiment comparing FTF and CMC relational development. They found out that "relational intimacy does increase at a faster rate in CMC than in FTF interactions" (2004).
With how things are turning out to be between the Bajan and the Asian, it seems true that CMC can be a venue for an intimate relationship that could have never made possible by FTF.
Indeed, the hyperpersonal perspective of CMC could be for real.
REFERENCES:
Griffin, E (2009). Social information processing theory. A first look at communication web site. Retrieved May 17, 2009 from http://www.afirstlook.com/main.cfm/theory_resources/Social_Information_Processing_Theory#contentTop
Hian, L. Chuan, S. Trevor, T. and Detenber, B. (2004). Getting to know you: Exploring the development of relational intimacy in computer-mediated communication. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 9 (3). Retrieved May 17, 2009 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol9/issue3/detenber.html.
Comments