What is CMC and How does it (a)effect Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication?

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) is a form of technological communication where people communicate via two or more network computers. It could also be define as the way of transmitting messages using, as a main role, technology. This way of communication on one side allows better effectiveness at certain community or organization, but on the other side it lowers the opportunity for face to face or interpersonal communication. Technology has made the interaction of human beings in communicative contexts, more symbolically mediated. In the majority of cases, the usage of new technologies is an advantage since there are more mediums of communicating, therefore, it changes the way we interact face-to-face.

In today’s modern world, Computer Mediated Communication is the key towards becoming a socially organized; from the office space to the home. It is proven that CMC’S can affect organizational effectiveness (100). This new wave of technology allows people to become asychorous and synchronous (101) which provides different mediums to allow communication to happen. CMC is becoming an integral part of our home and work environment. It has allowed us to share ideas, concepts, project and personal … among two or more people. CMC also allow us also to communicate in a faster and in a more effective way. CMC it is as well as important to any company or organization than to a relationship.  Authors Tirumala Santra & Vijai N. Giri in there article Analyzing Computer-Mediated Communication and Organizational Effectiveness, talk about relationship between CMC and company’s effectiveness. Since CMC become part of almost every company, face to face communication has gradually decreased. CMC has opened many opportunities for employees to share knowledge, ideas and project through a computer network.

The main concern about CMC is how it affects face-to-face communication between individuals. This technology leaves less room for face-to-face interaction. In the bigger spectrum it can affect relationships since there are messages that could be misinterpreted. For example, while sending an e-mail, the reciever can interpret something that is incorrect. This is a very common mistake in CMC’s. The positive aspect is that most individuals are attached to some type of device that allows fast connection to a computer mediated media; hence, faster communication. This is how time is gained in the media world, allowing space to clarify misinterpretations. The effects of this technology occur in mass quantity, which makes it reachable to more people. Since many individuals are adapted to a technology based environment, this allows for this medium to work effectively.

The general assumption about the role and how CMC has affected a relationship through the exchange of text messages could be related to the limitations that the participants may encounter during the communication process. According to Bordia (1997), in the case where there is a group of people trying to accomplish a task through CMC, interpersonal communications is both affected and effected in the following forms:

• Behavior may become “rude” and “offensive” because the people have no knowledge of the social background of each participant.

• There is a risk for messages to be misinterpreted due to the fact that CMC is “primary textual;” facework is absent.

• Tasks take more time to be accomplished.

• Groups produce better ideas.

• All group members gain “greater participation”

• There is a fewer tendency to stick to social standards; decreases the likelihood for social pressure to have an effect on the group

• “[The] perception (understanding) of partners and task is poorer”

• When there is limited time availability, communication is poorer quality.

CMC has, without a doubt, impact in interpersonal communication. For example, today in a company employees prefer sending e-mails rather then walking to the person and discussing the matter. Certainly, CMC is used as the most recent and interactive way in which people tries to reach different relational statuses such as developing or maintaining a relationship. CMC has become so popular in the past years that people are already starting to rely on it, especially through text messages. Messages exchanges give a person an opportunity to take a close look at meaning and the effect of the text without having to interact with the other person face-to-face. Some scholars argue that is not correct to have a narrow conception about CMC being “inferior” than face-to-face interaction and “lacking in its capacity to foster social relations has given way to research documenting its ability to convey rich, multidimensional messages through text and potential for developing even ‘hyperpersonal’ relations” (Ramirez, Zhang, McGrew, Lin 493) CMC has helped students in colleges to share their ideas and projects with their classmates and professors in a faster way. The further usage of CMC depicts a promising future to grow at a fast pace.

SOURCES:

1. Author: Tirumala Santra & Vijai N. Giri

Title: Analizing Computer-Mediated Communication and Organizational Effectiveness

Journal: The Review of Communication
Volume 9, No. 1, January 2009, pp. 100-109

2. Author: Prashant Bordia

Article Title: Face-to-Face Versus Computer-Mediated Communication: A Synthesis of Experimental Literature

Journal: Journal of Business Communication. 34(1), 99-120.

3. Authors: Artemio Ramirez, Shuanyue Zhang, Cat McGrew, Shu-Fang Lin

Article: Relational Communication in Computer-Mediated Interaction Revisited: A Comparison of Participant-Observer Perspectives

Journal: Communication Monographs. Dec2007, Vol. 74 Issue 4, p492-516,

It’s A Complicated World

Why do individuals tend to make things so f*&$ing complicated? The reality is there is no right or wrong answer for things. We just do it. While analyzing the song “Complicated” of Avril Lavigne, we noticed there is a clear resemblance of day to day relationships between human beings. We kinda/sorta have certain perceptions and expectations that, sometimes, are not met within our social groups. Here is where things start to get complicated…

In Lavigne’s song, she describes how her boyfriend tries to pretend to be someone he’s not. The idea of a social criteria has been established through relationships.  Under this criteria, The Social Identity Theory establishes that people need to feel a sense of belonging in a group.  “But you become Somebody else ‘Round everyone else”. He changes all of his individual characteristics to fit into a social group. Through the song she tries to explain to him that she accepts him the way he is and that her perception is that he looks like a “fool” when he tries to act differently. She expects he can change his behavior, though it does not go in sync with society, to find his own self.

Another theory that relates to the song is the Communication Theory of Identity in the part that she demands to “Take off all your preppy clothes”. This could be associated with the communal aspects where the images are tied to the groups that he is trying to be part of. Who is preppy, punk or nerd? These are ideas that have been created to segregate us within different groups. Therefore, our paradigm is sacrifice by the choices we take. To a certain point, it constructs a problem within their own relationship due to the self-presentation he wants to portray to others. “I like the way you are”  this way she reminds him who he really is when they are together.  

In modern day, the circumstances are WAY more complicated! Thanks to our interaction through CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication), relationships have become dependent with computer mediated mediums such as e-mail, text, internet, Facebook, Twitter, Skype and others. For some people this takes away from the ethics the real essence of the relationship. Some couples feel that it deprives the attraction between them and eventually creates conflict and repulsion. Because of unwanted circumstances such as distance, for others their only option to maintain a relationships is through CMC.

So why are things so complicated?! They just are…

Sources:

Guerrero, Laura K. Close encounters communication in relationships. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2007. 21-59.