I have had a few relationships online and one main difference is that it seems easier to create n intimate relationship with someone online because it's easier for you to communicate. When most of us have trouble speaking about something to someone we write them a letter. When you're communicating with someone in cyberspace it's like you're constantly writting letters to one another. However, unlike the post office your letter arrives right away. This keeps the moment from passing before your letter arrives.
Another thing I enjoy about cyberspace is that you can communicate with people you would never get a chance to talk to, otherwise. You can talk to someone across the country or even in a different country. The book states, "one of the most important characteristics of electronic communication is that it allows us to transcend space and time." (169) This allows us to create even bigger communities that can communicate with one another.
I really like what you said, but I simply don’t feel the same way. I would guess that you have an amazing facebook page that gets regularly updated, and that you have tons of pictures up. This is something that takes dedication and persistence not simply because it takes time but it takes a conscious effort on the part of the creator. My wife created my page, and the only photos I have up are from other people tagging me. This isn’t to say that I don’t wish I were better about updating my because I constantly have friends ask to see pictures of my son, and I just don’t think about it.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that often times it is easier to say things in writing. Also, when you write (or type) a message you often re-read it and edit the message. This can make for a more mature and kind relationship. There have been many times when I’ve blurted things out to friends or my boyfriend, that I never would have said if I could have read them back to myself first. In many ways a cyber relationship is the best way to put your absolute best foot forward. The only thing I would worry about, is that people may get the wrong impression of each other and romanticize each other’s perfections, forgetting that everyone has flaws.
ReplyDeleteHi no_name707,
ReplyDeleteI like the point you and thelittletomatoe make about it sometimes being easier and more convenient to communicate through writing. If written with proper netiquette, emails can be an easier form of communication for problem solving because you can organize your points and get rid of some of the emotional interference that often happens during face-to-face confrontations. When I was a teenager I often wrote letters to my dad instead of talking to him about issues so that we wouldn’t get into a bull blown argument (since teenagers are always right).
However, I think it is still possible to hastily send off angry messages through cyber space when we are not thinking clearly. I’ve gotten into a few “fights,” through email and instant messaging over the years because I didn’t think things through before I clicked send. So I think that in order to use written communication effectively over the web, it’s important to remember to edit ourselves and not say anything that we wouldn’t say to the other person’s face. ☺