Social support provided by interpersonal relationships is one of the most robust correlates of well-being. Self-disclosure serves as a basic building block of these relationships. With the rapid growth of the Internet in recent years, the question remains how self-disclosure, and subsequently relationships and well-being, differ when people communicate over the Internet rather than in person. The purpose of this article is to describe current Internet usage patterns as well as explore the association of Internet usage and well-being. Additionally, it directly compares the perceived benefits of face-to-face communication and computer-mediated communication. A questionnaire was administered to 99 undergraduates to measure Internet usage patterns, communication partners, self-disclosure, extraversion, and subjective well-being. Although Internet communication was found to be common, individuals perceived computer-mediated communication to be less useful than face-to-face communication. In addition, increased Internet usage was associated with decreased well-being. Implications are discussed in terms of a new Internet paradox in which people increasingly use the Internet for communication, although they perceive it to be less beneficial than face-to-face interactions and it is associated with reduced well-being.
Self-disclosure, the sharing of personal information between communication partners, has long been a topic of interest due to the large impact it plays in the development of interpersonal relationships (Altman & Taylor, 1973). As the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) has increased, so has the interest in the impact it may have on self-disclosure and relationship development. Several theories have been posited to explain the impact that the medium of communication has on self-disclosure. Although some theories have predicted a negative impact of CMC on self-disclosure (Daft & Lengel, 1986; Kock, 2005), several researchers have found that CMC increases self-disclosure (McKenna & Bargh, 2000; Valkenberg & Peter, 2009a; Walther, 1996). This article discusses the main theories that explain the nature of online self-disclosure, the possible mechanisms by which CMC serves to increase self-disclosure, and impact that online self-disclosure has on interpersonal relationships and well-being.
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