Unit 5 and 6 summary

Unit 5 starts off by speaking about CMC social groups. Study of CMC social group is very dynamic and the groups function differently than face-to-face (ftf) because it is written communication. One of the differences is explained through Reduced Social Cues (RSC) model. This is a concept that says that CMC is more difficult to have a natural flowing conversation and more effort has to be given into what is typed than with ftf. Anonymity is another difference in CMC  and has many different degrees. One example given is that a person may use a false name in a chatroom while in an email use their real name and know the other persons as well. Some of the down sides to in CMC group dynamic are disinhibition, deindividualtion, polarization, and conformity. Disinhibition and deindividualtion, and polarization are very much determined on context.  Polarization and conformity tie into each other because sometimes it is easier to pick a side and pick the majority side than to sit in the middle by themselves.  The upsides to CMC group dynamics are cohesion, interactivity, and identity. All three come attach to each other to help people come together and stay together as a group. There is another model that helps us understand CMC better. It is Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE model) which contradicts RSC model because it present the idea that loss of physical and social cues are not as prominent in CMC as originally thought and that CMC could actually be more effective than ftf.

Unit 6 starts out talking about the myth of how CMC is “thrill-spill-and-kill” meaning that people have the right to act however they want , share whatever they want, be rude to whoever they want on the Internet. Flames/flaming is perceived online hostility. Some of the examples given are indecent messages, rudeness, and profane language. RSC model believes that this hostility comes because no physical cues are present to limit what is said. Interactional-normative framework contradicts RSC because its main focus is on the response that is fits within the context of the online conversation. Flame language can be perceived differently depending on the context. Interactional-normative framework has four major principles.

1.       Need for definitional clarity

2.       Direct consideration of social and relational context

3.       Investigation of functions rather than reliance on value judgments

4.       Prioritization of communication over technology

The normal way of life of any group and relationship history both take part in creating the context in CMC. There are five qualities of CMC that make it different than other forms of communication.  They are packet switching, sensory appeal, interactivity, synchronicity, and hypertextuality.  Embedded media is how dependent and integrated people have become on the Internet to do activities in their daily lives. Social capital is another term similar to embedded media because it speaks of how much of people’s social network is on the Internet.  There are two approaches to how to study how embedded people are in the Internet and what they use it for.

1.       Very quantitative with controls, specific variables and processes of CMC

2.       Very qualitative people observe and describe what people do every day with CMC

Both units present models that come together and said that CMC is very complex and unpredictable just like ftf communication.