Electronic Technology Effects on Interpersonal Communication Satisfaction - Literature review Example

George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) was a major American philosopher who also developed a theory of social communication long before the concept of social media, the Internet, emails, and advanced technology were present. Mead’s concept of social communication was that the outer self needs to communicate with other people to exchange ideas on any number of social levels, ranging from the intimate at its most open portrayal of the human spirit, to a more refined and emotionally guarded atmosphere in discussing everyday events (Mead, 1934). He developed the concept of symbolic interactionism in communication through action and language or speech. The self is expressed to others through language, although body motions, such as the use of hands while speaking, or even facial expressions, add an extra dimension to the external expression of the self. One can also interpret the self in language, in the tonal deliverance of vocal communication, as in whether the speaker is angry or afraid of something (Mead, 1934). Mead’s theory will serve as the main theoretical structure for this research.

If one considers texting on the phone and on Facebook, for example, emoticons are a form of adding a visual behavioral expression on top of the words typed into the message box. What might appear to be a negative comment when read directly, without knowing the person very well, would change if the message sender added on a laughing emoticon, signaling that this message, in fact, is not to be taken seriously. The sender is actually making a joke, which if done in a face-to-face interactive visual and vocal communication, would have been immediately understood by the receiver. Mead (1934) would, most likely, compare such a message as part of the ‘attitude’ of a person. In emails, text messaging, and Facebook messaging, such emotive applications allow for a better understanding of what is being said, how it is being said, and why, albeit from afar (Drussell, 2012). Unfortunately, such remote interaction does leave room for the occasional misinterpretation of a message, particularly between people who do not know each other very well, or who have never met except online. Such communications and the development of advanced technology provide ever-changing methods of connecting with others, and social rules of engagement in communication will change continually as well.