In Social Psychological Aspects of Computer-Mediated Communication, Sara Kiesler, Jane Siegal and Timothy W. McGuire argue that CMC will have social and psychological consequences on society.
The authors show the impact of CMC on group interaction and decisions through studies on choice-dilemma problems to examine whether communication is depersonalizing and lacking in social structure. The most compelling part of the piece, in my opinion, is not the findings of the study but the questions the authors raised about the social psychological aspects of CMC. Since the piece was published in 1984, almost 40 years of technological innovation has occurred since its publication. Yet to this day, many of the questions raised by Kiesler, Siegal and McGuire remain relevant. The authors question whether communication through text alone reduces the coordination of communication. “In traditional forms of communication, head nods, smiles, eye contact, distance, tone of voice and other nonverbal behavior give speakers and listeners information they can use to regulate, modify, and control exchanges,” the authors write. While the invention and use of emojis, for example, has helped communicate emotions virtually, there is still a widespread belief that computer-mediated communication is not as communicative as verbal conversations. This is particularly relevant over the past year and a half, when such a large percentage of our human interactions have taken place through a screen. The authors also question whether the ease and speed of online communication may change the quantity, distribution or timing of information exchanged. “Availability of instantaneous electronic communication, for example, might lead people to expect immediate responses,” the authors write. This is a problem almost every American has dealt with during the pandemic. The work-from-home online environment has conditioned us to expect 24/7 availability, and I worry about the consequences of blurring the barriers between work and personal life.
While it may seem like the technological questions of 40 years ago are worlds away, this piece shows us that many past concerns about computer-mediated communication remain relevant today.
Your blog post was very interesting, Alana. It is fascinating that the piece you read was published in 1984 and is still very applicable. One thing that stood out to me from your post was how people are expected to provide individuals with responses right away due to the instantaneous nature of communicating digitally. This is definitely something that I struggle with, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when texting and calling was one of our few forms of being able to connect. I have to remind myself that not every email, message, or question needs an immediate response if I am busy doing something for myself, class, or others. Furthermore, it is good to remind myself that I also should not expect everyone else to instantly respond to me if I reach out to them with a question or need help. I think the expectations/pressures of immediate digital responses can have negative effects for our society, especially on individuals’ mental health. Therefore, a culture shift is likely necessary and unplugging/electronic down time should become more of a norm. I am curious – do other people struggle with this pressure too? If so, do you feel it more when you are at school, away from school, or both?