Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Making Online Connections
Do you have a facebook account? A Myspace account? The increased use of blackberries, PDA's cellphones is creating an increase in the number of people disclosing information in writing that they would not share in a face to face siutation. According to research cited in Seiler and Beall, Communication:making connections, Women are more likely than men to form relationships on the internet. The research found that 72 percent of women and 55 percent of men surveryed who interact on the internet have formed personal online relationships. What have you found in your experience to be true? Have you formed personal relationships over the internet? Have you found yourself disclosing personal information that you would not communicate in a face-to-face interaction? Can interactions occuring over technology ever replace or fulfill the interpersonal needs experienced in a face-to-face situation?
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Back my high school days everyone had a myspace or facebook but me, until someone said they were just going to make me one. Instead of having my name on the internet and not knowing what they were going to put up on the page I made it myself. I find that sometimes it is easier to say something through electronic means of email, face book, or instant messaging. I believe this because when emailing or Instant Messenger, you can proofread your own response and backspace if needed or if what you say may be taken the wrong way via email.
In person you may not have the time to think of a response appropriately enough and blurt out the first thing that pops into your head. You can't "backspace" in person. Sometimes somethings should be said in person face to face. Some emotions and feelings are better conveyed in person, rather than in a written, less personal form.
I have met people online that I am friends with now in person. I have disclosed some personal information online as said already, because it is easier to explain something if you can proofread how you want it to sound and how you want someone to listen to it. Overall though, technology cannot replace a face to face relationship or situation. Somethings just can't be said online, or by means of technology and requires the need to be there in person.
I think that men are equal to women when it comes to online relationships or making friends. I have meet people off the internet and formed relationships that are actually cool. You talk and get to know the personal or exterior and then when you meet in person you get to see the other side that will determine if the relationship ( whether platonic or not) will last.I think the only info. I would tell them on the internet is that I like them or interested. For instance, if we go to the same school or share mutual friends and I was to shy to say it in person, I have more confidence to write it then say it verbally.No, technology can never replace interpersonal needs its unethical. The computer doesn't have feelings or thoughts and can never replace a human in any shape or form. "The need for affection", will never change as long as we roam this Earth.
I feel it is much easier to form a relationship through the Internet rather than face-to-face encounters. When put in a face-to-face situation the main thing on a persons mind is to impress the other person. Once that factor of “in-person meeting” is introduced the persons will go out their way to find something to impress the other. Where as online it is as pure as a conversation will ever get. You talk, you interact, and you form this relationship unlike any other. No one is worried about that formal aspect, because once you get the basic conversations out of the way through the Internet that first meeting with the person makes one feel like they knew the other for years so to speak.
My girlfriend and I met through a mutual friend, and began speaking on AIM (a online instant messaging client) primarily. At first it was awkward because we knew we seen each other at school, but we just never met formally in person. Since we started talking near the end of our junior year AIM was the primary means of conversation between us two over the summer. The whole summer we gained a trust for each other, and eventually lead into talking about sensitive information usually only said in person. We were up late night until two a.m., even though we basically met once during the end of school year. Eventually our relationship grew, and communications moved to the phone. Once school started that “first impression” was out the window, and we both felt like we had known each other for years even though we had just met a little less than three months prior to.
Now that we have both went to college, our primary source of communication has went back to AIM, the phone, or Facebook. I do try to visit her University from time to time to have that connection with her. Which is hard at times, since over our senior year we spent all of our time with each other. Since we already had that relationship, and the experience so to say of communicating through the Internet it is not that difficult. The Internet puts people at ease when communicating to a new friend. Your not worried about what you look like, or more importantly what the other person looks like. There are no prejudgments made. It is just the most basic form of communication that anyone will ever find.
I do have both a myspace and facebook account. I feel that both are good ways to keep in touch with old friends who have either moved, you don't see, or you have lost contact with. It is also a good way to meet new people and form new friendships or strengthen old ones. Most people I know also have either myspace or facebook or both.
In high school, I would talk with a lot of people, but I was really able to form a real bond with my best friend through facebook messaging. This person does happen to be a girl, but I feel it doesn't matter the sex of the person, it all depends on personality whether they will open up through texting or messaging more than in person. We started telling each other more personal stuff over messaging, but now we tell each other anything no matter if its messaging or in person.
I feel though that texting and messaging will be able to replace being in contact with someone or actually talking to someone in person. There are some things that cannot be expressed in text, like emotions. The only way you can express love or sadness in text is through making faces or hearts, like so: =0( <3. Even if you put these symbols, it will never replace real emotion. It also seems very impersonal to ask someone out, break-up, or propose through text. These need to be expressed in person.
I did not get a face book until my senior year in high school; I was practically forced to get one by my best friend. I do no have a MySpace, because I believe it is too dangerous. I believe that MySpace and facebook is a good way to meet new people and become friends, but nothing more. If someone would like to have a close relationship, I believe they would have to meet in person and not on the internet. I personally have not produced any personal relationships on the internet. MySpace could be a dangerous way to meet a stranger. Clearly, facebook is the safer way to go, however, personal information should be face to face not computer screen to computer screen. Your personal information would not be out for everyone to see, if said face to face. I did find that facebook is a great way to find new friends. I personally give some personal information, but barely, always privately on facebook. I met many of my Kean friends on facebook, which was great. I believe that technology will never replace the type of interaction you would get when it’s face to face; it’s just more personal when you see the person.
I think my life revolves around the internet, I am always online on the web surfing different sites. I have had so many different online accounts before that have kept me socially connected with my friends. I have made a myspace account, a friendster, a high 5, and recently I made a facebook account. I think that the internet is the fastest and most convenient way to send messages and keep in touch with everyone. The best site I think to keep in touch with people is facebook. The good thing about facebook is that it has networks in which you join and you can search other people in that network and be friends with them, for example Kean University is a network on facebook and I am a part of that network and it allows me to see anyone’s profile that is from Kean University. I think I trust the internet a lot more then I trust other types of communication, I have enclosed a lot of my personal information online and I haven’t been disappointed yet. It allows people to get to know me better and they have privacy settings which let only certain people view things. :] I think the best thing about a facebook account is the fact that you get to keep in touch with everyone, I know I already said that but I can’t stress how big facebook is a part of my life. I keep in touch with all my high school friends and best of all I can stay in touch with my family, all my cousins are on facebook so we all started this one message in which it is a continuous thread. Basically who ever responds to the message all of us get that respond and it’s kind of like chatting, we don’t get time to call each other or anything so we can just update each other through that message, it makes life easier and its simple.
I think woman do make more relationships online I started talking to my current boyfriend because of facebook I met him once and then found him on facebook and because of facebook we got close. It started with a facebook message then moved on to an AIM screen name and now we talk on the phone all the time. I think that technology allows us to express ourselves without being scared when you meet someone new you start talking to them online through AIM or something because it’s easier then talking to them face to face. Technology allows us to edit our information so we can keep from making mistakes and also the person you’re talking to doesn’t know your facial expression and it just makes things a whole lot comforting and relaxing. You don’t have to be scared of anything, even rejection. I think getting rejected online is easier then getting rejected by someone face to face. Overall I believe that technology is helping our nation and helping people and it’s the fastest way of communication. I don’t agree that all your emotions can be expressed through technology I think some conversations should be saved for a face to face situation but besides that technology is the way to go. =)
I used to have a myspace account, but currently only have a facebook account. While I had a myspace account, I first only used it to keep in touch with everyone from my school and my relatives, but then lots of random people jut started asking to be my friend and I just accepted to be nice. I knew nothing serious or bad was going to happen unless I let it; I was very careful. There were some incidents when I was having boyfriend issues and wanted a guys point of view so I would ask one of the stranger guys what they thought I should do or what ever the situation was, but I would have asked it face to face with someone I knew. I think having the internet helps meet knew people even if you don’t ever meet them in real life. It’s just nice to have people to talk to.
Technology overall I think is great, but I do feel it will get a bit too far. We get by with the things we have now so I don’t understand why we still need the next best thing. I think it’s just put in everyone’s head that we need technology. It seems that people are so open to talking and meeting new people online, but when you look at strangers walking around campus everyone’s looking down at their cell phones or music players trying not to talk to anyone. I think people do that for fear of that awkward moment.
I can’t really tell if technology will ever replace face to face situations because I would rather go out wit friends and have a great time laughing than to be in a chat room with them laughing, but having all those other distractions around. I think it has to do with everyone individually. Some people seriously do not ever want to go out and love having the ability to chat at the comforts of home, but I believe there will always be those people who would rather go out.
I have both a myspace and facebook account. Currently I spend more time on facebook. But I use to be addicted to my myspace. Taklking to you friends who are away and keeping in touch with them is great, but I have never formed a personal relationship over either account I have.
I believe however, it is much easier to disclose information over the internet rather than face to face. Because over the internet you do not have to worry about someone freaking out, even if they do you are not in the same room with them. You only have to read what there saying, which could still hurt, but it gives you a longer response time. This is why I think myself and anyone else that agrees with me rather say something over the internet.
As for technolgy replacing face to face interaction, I doubt it. There are just some things that need to be said in person regardless of what amount of technology is created. In certain situations a person needs the comfort and closure of hearing something face to face with a whoever the person may be.
I have both a myspace and facebook account I never check myspace anymore, but I am always on facebook. I think that these sites are a great way to keep in touch in with friends who do not live close or even to find out what your close friends are up too. I personally have never formed a personal relationship over either account I have.
I do believe that people feel it is easier to disclose information over the internet rather than doing so face to face. When you share information with someone over the internet they cannot judge you or atleast you cannot see them judging you. When talking to someone over the internet you have a longer time to respond to them than you would if you where in the same room.
I do not believe that technology will replace face to face interaction. I personally would rather go out and spend time with my friends rather than talk to one of them online or the phone. There are certain things that need to said face to face regardless of the many other ways people can communicate.
I have both a Facebook and a Myspace account. I remember before starting at Kean last year I was actually able to get in touch with my roommate before we started school and that's also how i first met my current roommate. Facebook has become a great tool for me helping to stay in touch with friends when I really am not in the mood to pick up a phone. I don't think this necessarily fulfills or replaces face-to-face conversations but it can make it easier to say something to someone on the internet than in person. For instance, letting someone know you like them as more than a friend. If you're rejected online it's easier because you're not in front of them. If you were in front of them, it could make the situation awkward.
I've had a myspace for about six years, and I only made a facebook account upon entering college; but I did however have a Hi5, so I could communicate with family from Portugal. I do agree that the increasing form of technological advances has made communication through writing so much easier and much more open than face to face situations. I also agree that women more often than men form personal online relationships. I don't agree with it, but I know its true.
I find this experience to be true because I actually started talking to my current boyfriend through myspace. I had actually gone to elementary school with him, and afters years of not speaking, I ran into him at a party but didnt speak to him, than two weeks later I got a request to be his myspace friend and that broke the ice. We spoke through the computer and text messages for about two months, then we went on a date and have been together for the past two years. I believe that if it weren't for myspace, we'd probably not be dating. Starting to speak through that site made it much more easier than him actually approaching me at the party that night, especially since we hadn't spoken for years prior. However, I am not a believer of disclosing personal information through texts or online rather than face to face. I think it's childish (ex: Myspace wars), I don't understand why people can't act like adults and just say how they feel to the person rather than going back and forth through writing. I yell at my boyfriend all the time, when he starts telling me stuff through texts, how hard is it to pick up the phone and say it?! I think that way because speaking through technology will never replace speaking face to face. It's much more personal and sincere when one speaks directly to the person. The only exception I have towards that belief of mine, is if I were to go on vacation for a month across seas and my only way of speaking to him is through emails and the phone, than that is acceptable. But if one has the chane to speak directly, why not take it? I do understand some people are shy and rather not speak directly, but sooner or later there will come a point in your life that you can not rely on technology to speak for you.
I do have MySpace and Facebook accounts that I created a number of years ago. I strictly use them for friends I have met and have a personal relationship with. I use these sites more seldom now, only for keeping connection with a small number of people and not merely as a vehicle for popularity or attention.
I would I say I have seen more female subscribers to these cites but I have never formed any kind of relationship with any of them. Perhaps because I do not get involved in personal matters on these blog cites. I have talked more closely when engaging in instant messaging where only the person and I can see our conversation.
I do not believe that technology will replace the person-to-person intimate connection that is created from a physical interaction. There is a certain personality that may come across through a blog or a web-based video, but actually being in the same room and feeling someone's presence is very hard to duplicate. On the other hand however, recently on CNN they have begun using holograms to project a person's image across the globe to other locations. So interactivity and how we communicate with others and where we do so is definitely changing but it is unclear whether or not it will have positive or negative effect on society.
I do not have a facebook account but I do have a myspace account. Myspace has been my form of connecting with people I would not like to actually connect in person with. You can express so much in writing because you think about what you want to write rather than speak your mind in an instant if you met in person. To me, that survey is correct.In general most men have a bigger ego than women. They will approach you in person without hesitation. Women on the other hand, are more shy and timid. I agree with Cindy. I also met my current boyfriend over myspace. He requested me, and I added him. I thought "here is your chance vanessa!" I soon wrote him a comment and it kicked off from there. Often when im mad at him, I'll just text him everything I feel because I know that in person it is very difficult to express my feelings. Texting or messaging is easier because people are scared of reactions or even how they will act in front of the person. Interactions occuring over technology will never replace the face to face situation. In person you SHOW how you feel and physically see how the person feels. I think that is what counts the most.
I agree that facebook and myspace indeed disclose a lot of personal information that would not be discussed in regular day to day experiences. Relationships are also formed over ther internet because individuals find it harder to communicate in face to face encounters. i personally have not created a relationship over the internet, in fact I'm usually very careful with what I disclose online. My email accounts are under different names except the school made one's and information such as job, residence, phone numbers, and emails are not displayed on my profile. I only display information I don't believe would endanger myself over the internet. Relationships can be formed online however i'm too afraid to take that risk.
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