EC Blog 2

Social information processing theory claims that whether you’re communicating face-to-face or online, you can communicate the same degree of personal involvement and develop similar close relationships. 

    I disagree with the theory above. I feel like online you can say whatever you want but the person may not know who you are. On social media people can perceive you differently. In person you can be talk and act different. Being in person and communicating is real and you can tell emotions through faces and reactions. Through the internet, you only see what us on the screen. 

    I feel as if the world "real" contradicts the theory. It reminds me of the song "Real" by Kendrick Lamar. The hook, "Look in the mirror and know I'm there, "With my hands in the air, I'm proud to say yeah, I'm real, I'm real, I'm really, really, real," relates to my thoughts of differentiating face-to-face and online. You cannot know a real person by just communicating with them through a screen. I believe you can get to know a virtual side of someone, but you won't get to know the actual person until you face-to-face meet them. 

    Although, I do believe you can form a bond with someone online. You form a bond with whoever is on the other side of that screen; whether it is who they actually are or who they pretend to be. An example of a bond going wrong would be called a "catfish" (credits to the MTV show). I have seen this happen in life. I know a girl in high-school who was talking to this boy for a few months through social media. She thought she fell in love with him and talked to him every second throughout the day. Eventually she found out the truth about who she had been talking to. She had fell in love with someone totally different than who she had thought him to be. My friend was devastated and went through a tough patch once she found out. I felt horrible for her. How can people do this? Why pretend to be someone who you aren't? Maybe because it is easier online to pretend than it is in real life.

    In Chapter 7 (pg.114) of the book, Communication Online, characteristics of social media are listed in a chart. One characteristic is "allowing access to a range of individuals". This characteristic lists a disadvantage that can relate to my post right now is:

"you may trust someone who lies to you and pretends to be something he or she is not..."

I love the way this is worded. I believe communicating in person is the best way to communicate. While being virtual, it can be fun but is often misunderstood in many ways.

Sources:
Dow, Bill. "Category: Project Management." Bill Dows Blog Site. Word Press, 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.

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"Good Kid, M.A.A.d City (Deluxe Version) by Kendrick Lamar on Apple Music." ITunes. N.p., 01 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.

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Seabright, Patricia. "What Is Virtual Communication?" Archimedes Consulting. N.p., 15 Nov. 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.

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Huillet, Michelle. Communicating Online. N.p.: McGraw Hill, n.d. Print.