Computer Mediated Communication
Rapid advancements in technology has allowed modern society to transition into a new digital era with many new forms of communication. New technologies have changed the lives of many people and created new ways to make and maintain relationships over a digital channel. The innovation of these computer mediated channels has created new ways to express feelings and messages over certain digital platforms. There are now millions of digital channels and digital chats for people to communicate with others that have similar interests and skills.
The innovation of Facebook, Facetime, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many more media channels can be used for different purposes of communicating and different audiences to communicate to. These digital platforms are used by people to communicate different topics to each other such as advertising a product or chatting with someone who has mutual friends or interests. The Hyperpersonal model and the Social Information Processing Theory were created in different conducted studies and explain the communicational differences in digital interactions and face to face interactions.
Although face to face interactions are a more efficient way for people to communicate their expressions, communications through digital channels are more convenient and easier to use. The use of computer mediated channels and face to face interactions is dependent on the intimacy level of the conversation and the type of message that is being sent. Computer mediated channels have a different effect on the way people communicate when compared to face to face interactions. New generations are dependent on socials medias because it enables them to conveniently communicate with people that are located anywhere else in the world. Firstly, media channels are more productive because digital communication is more effective for interpersonal connections and allow easier access to networking with people that are mutual friends or connections. Computer mediated channels are also common tools used for business collaborations and creating new ideas among coworkers simultaneously. This saves money and time for companies because they dont have to pay for transportation to meet in a face to face discussion. Media channels allow people to communicate from different locations and still be productive on their work which is not possible with face to face interactions.
Media channels are more convenient for quick responses but face to face interactions are proven to be more efficient in understanding expressions in a message and also understanding the level of credibility that a message has. The use of media channels can delay the productivity for a company because using digital channels disallows workers from using non-verbal communication cues which can lead to communication distortion in the decision-making process. Face to face interactions include non-verbal cues that help a receiver understand the truthful meaning of a message by reading the body language of the sender. Confident posture and eye contact in face to face interactions show the true personality of someone and allows for a valid understanding of the message. The lack of non-verbal communication cues can change the perception of messages from different workers and cause them to attribute negative meanings and expressions to a message that was not intentional from the sender. Digital channels limit peoples ability to come to a consensus, since having only verbal cues can disrupt the meaning of a message and can cause people to understand it differently. Computer mediated channels are very important in modern society but will never replace the intimacy and credibility that comes with visual cues in face to face interactions.
Although face to face communication allows for quicker feedback response times, mediated channels are becoming more efficient and more frequently used every day. The Hyperpersonal model argues that computer mediated channel interactions can be more effective in communicating uniquely than face to face interactions. A message sender on a media channel has the ability to create their self-presentation more strategically and develop an impression that is more understandable to the readers. Media channels allow a sender to have more time to create a personality to their message that will attract more people and will be understood by everyone that reads it. This argument is true because creating an aesthetic personality on social media will attract more people to read the message that is being sent. I have experienced the Hyperpersonal model when I used it in work to collaborate with my coworkers on a new idea. We created a group chat to work together on a decision for how we were going to market an application that we created. The group chat allowed us to give quick feedback to our opinions and make a quick decision without leaving our houses. Although understanding the Hyperpersonal model can be useful to many companies, I have experienced more effective communication in my face to face interactions. The Hyperpersonal model should explain the importance of non-verbal cues and how the absence of these cues can disrupt the meaning of a message over a digital channel. The Social Information Processing Theory can also be improved by explaining how negative initial interactions on digital media can easily happen if ones message is not clear. This will cause the receiver to avoid any future interactions and can break the relationship. Messages can be more efficient through media channels or face to face interactions depending on what the sender wants the reader to perceive in a situation.