I have formed relationships with people online. The main
difference in these relationships is that they are not face-to-face with the
other person. I cannot get a non-verbal message from the other person through
facial expressions or movement. Additionally, I cannot get an idea of the
meaning behind messages, seeing as it is difficult to get intent from text
alone. Another difference is that the face-to-face interactions with others has
a greater output, and is thus more rewarding, than just interacting with
someone over the internet.
However, one of the more prevalent relationships I have
created online came to fruition offline when I met said person at an Ohio convention
in October. They were very similar to the person I knew online, and the
face-to-face interaction was much more rewarding than the online interaction we
had many times before. On top of that, the two of us strengthened our
friendship while at the convention, going a little farther than text alone
could really allow us to go.
Hey Chris,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post that cyber relationships do not contain the nonverbal ques we need in order to strengthen a conversation or a relationship as a whole. It is difficult to show your sarcasm, voice, or tone when you are reading messages back and forth. I do believe sometimes others mistake my messages as rude, when I was only using sarcasm. Although the internet can be a great source for communication, is isn't necessarily the best. Also a person you meet face to face sometimes does not always turn out to be the same as they were online. Ive had this happen before when the person I met was a lot shorter than in his pictures. Awkward.