The Impact of Internet Communications on Social Interaction

Abstract

The Internet is clearly on the way to becoming an integral tool of business, communication, and popular culture in many parts of the world. Computer Mediated Communications has a wide range of supporters and detractors. Some individuals argue the Internet will revolutionize social interactions, where others argue that the Internet will lead to loss of privacy, impersonal communications and isolation. There are also those who argue that the Internet is also being presented as a pedagogical tool for changing how public education is delivered. We believe that the Internet is a neutral social structural tool with several positive possibilities. However, the Internet's extraordinary growth is not without concern. Of particular relevance is the issue of the potential impact of the Internet and computer-mediated communications on the nature and quality of social interaction, especially among young people. This article is an analysis of the possible consequences online communication might have on social interaction rituals. We focus on the current cyber-youth who have grown up with the Internet being a routine part of their everyday life and interaction rituals. A review of current research literature on online interaction and education use of the Internet reveals that in the United States a significant portion of youths are actively using the Internet as an important form of social interaction. This article explores what possible positive and negative outcomes may arise from cyber-youth using the Internet as a primary means of social interaction and how that might influence their development of their interaction ritual skills.

The isolation of online adjunct faculty and its impact on their performance

“…If meeting in person is not possible, management must find ways to create a personalized rapport with each virtual worker and to foster conditions in which social exchanges among remote employees can occur more frequently. Brignall III and Van Valey (2005) stress that computer-mediated communication (CMC) is not the problem per se; the key lies in determining how to make use of this tool in order to bond socially with telecommuters. The importance of creating situations that facilitate casual interactions, friendship, and camaraderie must not be underestimated (Marshall et al, 2007).…”

Toward a Psychology of Social Change: A Typology of Social Change

“…Furthermore, when cell phones were first marketed, they were used mainly for business rather than for social purposes, which is the current primary use (Aoki and Downes, 2003). In the same vein, other technological changes, such as the emergence of personal computers (Kiesler et al, 1984; Robinson et al, 1997), Internet (DiMaggio et al, 2001; Brignall III and Van Valey, 2005), and social media (Robinson et al, 1997; O'Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson, 2011; Oh et al, 2015) will, in the future, be recognized as key events in the historical transformation of social structures and social norms. Such technology does not represent a DSC, but a social change nonetheless as it has modified the way people interact with one another in an incremental manner.…”

Social Media Usage and its Effect on Quality of Adolescent Social Relationships

“…Because of its recent invention, research of social media and the quality of effects they have on individuals is only in the beginning stages. Guided by insights from social development theories, studies have proposed that social media does have a range of effects on the development of social relationships (Blais et al 2007;Bargh et al 2002;Baym et al 2007;Abar et al 2018;Gennaro and Dutton 2007;Brignall and Valey 2005;McKenna et al 2002;Waskul and Douglass 1997;Gianesini and Brighi 2015). Some scholars propose that the internet has some degree of positive influence on the development of social relationships (Blais et al 2007; Bargh et al 2002;Baym et al 2007;Abar et al 2018;McKenna et al 2002).…”

“…Some scholars propose that the internet has some degree of positive influence on the development of social relationships (Blais et al 2007; Bargh et al 2002;Baym et al 2007;Abar et al 2018;McKenna et al 2002). Alternatively, other scholars propose that the internet has little influence or negative influence on the development of social relationships (Brignall and Valey 2005;Gennaro and Dutton 2007;Waskul and Douglass 1997;Gianesini and Brighi 2015). Considering these studies, it is logical to explore whether an adolescents' social relationships are being positively or negatively influenced by the use of social media.…”