24. The transformation of everyday talk: The impact of communication technology on notions of communication competence

Abstract

We are now situated in a world of diverse technological choices, offering more options for communication than in any other time in human history. The proliferation of mediated communication into everyday talk raises important questions regarding the foundational dimensions of competence -effectiveness and appropriateness. The chapter begins with a review of four channel characteristics relevant to communication competence: synchronicity, cue richness, format constraints, and message privacy. The section following examines the impact of communication technologies on everyday talk, consisting of superficial talk, informal talk, task talk, deep talk, and relational talk. The centrality of the relational context to competence is then explored, followed by a review of how emotional predisposition impacts channel choice. In the final section, the authors offer a reconceptualization of communication competence. More specifically, the authors reframe the construct of appropriateness as an emergent agreement between individuals who are uniquely situated in a relational context. Reframing appropriateness as situated and individualized diminishes the innate tension between appropriateness and effectiveness that is often felt by individuals who suffer from communication problems, such as reticence, shyness, and communication apprehension.