| The influence of the Internet has caused a | | | | studies (e.x. McKenna, Green, and Gleason), who |
| change in the way we communicate, learn and | | | | test a theory of relationship formation on the |
| shop. | | | | Internet, these researchers directly address the |
| The Internet is probably most famous for the | | | | argument that the psychological quality of Internet |
| ability to spread information, fact or fiction. We | | | | social interaction is lower than is the psychological |
| were once limited to news editors of a local | | | | quality of traditional face-to-face interaction. |
| paper, then to national cable news. Now anyone | | | | Consider my own use. I've received several e-mail |
| can search the globe, visit local papers in foreign | | | | messages in the past hour. My boyfriend confirms |
| countries, and see the views of all sides. This ease | | | | the dinner for tonight. Even though it is weekend, |
| of information has also brought with it a large | | | | my colleagues send me questions about the |
| amount of hoaxes, money schemes, and fallacies. | | | | pending exam expects a quick answer. So does |
| There is no question that easy access to the | | | | some graduate student from Europe, that I |
| Internet, like the introduction of mail service and | | | | recently met on "MySpace" with an urgent |
| the invention of the telephone, has changed the | | | | request for a letter of recommendation. My friend |
| nature of people's connection to others in their | | | | Ksenija sends me an IM to tell me the latest |
| social world. Mail made possible connections among | | | | news about her new love. And so on and so on... |
| people without physical proximity, and the | | | | I assume that I am also living a virtual life, and |
| telephone facilitated communication among distant | | | | what's the most interesting of all, all of my friends |
| people, making rapid connections possible across | | | | online, are also my friends in real life. And if they |
| long distances. | | | | weren't that in the past, I somehow managed to |
| But has this communication revolution changed the | | | | bring my cyber friends into my real life, so I could |
| pure nature of interpersonal and group processes? | | | | here in my real life enable real communication, real |
| On the one hand, since the primary use of the | | | | face-to-face "talks", real exchange of emotions, |
| Internet is communication, some people might | | | | feelings of happiness, satisfaction and well-being. |
| speculate that the Internet will have positive social | | | | I'd say for me, the Internet is a great new way |
| consequences in people's everyday lives because | | | | for doing old things. |
| it increases the frequency and quality of | | | | So, what else conclusion can I bring except the |
| interpersonal communications among people. | | | | one that Internet life cannot stand on itself |
| People with easy access to others would feel | | | | without real-life communication. It is simple: If we |
| better connected and more strongly supported | | | | understand the qualities of face-to-face |
| by others, leading to happiness and engagement in | | | | communication that influence the impact of such |
| families, organizations, communities, and society | | | | communication on people and their social |
| more generally. | | | | interaction, we would be able to predict the |
| But, on the other hand, the ease of electronic | | | | probable influence of any new communication |
| communication may lead to weaker social ties, | | | | technology. However, researchers show that |
| because people have less reason to leave their | | | | people sooner or later convert their cyber |
| homes and actually interact face to face with | | | | contacts into more traditional face-to-face, the |
| other people. The Internet allows people to more | | | | same as I do. People use the Internet, in other |
| easily work from their home, to form and sustain | | | | words to help them achieve their real-life goals. |
| friendships and even romantic attachments from | | | | And rather than technology's changing people's |
| their home, to bank from their home, to vote and | | | | social and psychological reality, in other words, |
| engage in political and social issue based | | | | people change their use of technology to facilitate |
| discussions with others (from home). | | | | their creation of a desired social reality. |
| In this variety of ways, Internet communications | | | | Internet users should closely examine their |
| can potentially displace face-to-face | | | | behavior, to ensure that excessive time online will |
| communications. I think this point is important | | | | not negatively impact their personal well-being. We |
| because psychologists in many researches have | | | | shouldn't throw our computers out the window, |
| described and proved such face to face and | | | | but neither should we charge on blindly into |
| telephone connections as being of higher quality, | | | | complete dependence on the Internet. As with |
| when viewed in terms of their contribution to | | | | many things in life, it seems that moderation and |
| satisfaction and well-being. | | | | balance are key to maximizing the Internet's |
| Reading a series of longitudinal and experimental | | | | positive effect. |