Face To Face and Mediated Social Interaction - Essay Example

FACE TO FACE AND MEDIATED SOCIAL INTERRACTION College Face To Face and Mediated Social Interaction Communication in social interaction is a crucial aspect of the community at all levels. In the era of technology, the mode of communication has changed from face to face to mediated forms of communication. In the traditional society, the society depended on face-to-face communication methods within their small networks. The most fascinating feature of face to face communication is the symbolic expression that accompanied the tone of communication. In the 21st century, mobile, computer and internet technology evolved, paving way for a new era of mediated communication. Mediated social interaction refers to the use of mails, electronics, magnetic waves and internet in communication. While technology provide people with the opportunity to former geographically large networks, the social aspect of communication are lost and key features evident in face to face communication have also disappeared. Although technology development seems to be essential part of the development of social circles, there adequate evidence that it has altogether changed the way people relate. The fact that there are always links to communicate makes people lose value of face to face communication and broader communication networks separate people. On this note, the shift to mediated communication reduces the strength of social ties and key features of communication are completely lost. From a close observation, there are many differences between face-to-face communication and mediated communication. First, face-to-face communication engages non-verbal symbolic cues that normally accompany intonation, aspects that are often missing in mediated communication. Non-verbal cues such as smiles, grins, facial expressions and body language are important factors that communicate the mood, attitude and the characteristics of communication (Goffman, 1981). In mediated communication, the tone variations are the only aspects of communication that can be relayed. Therefore, a very crucial aspect of communication is omitted in mediated communication. Secondly, the aspect of co-presence in a communication is lost when people speak with mediated networks. There is a stronger mutual attraction between human beings when they speak close together as compared to when they are connected within some of distant communication media (Silverstone, 2005). The absence of the physical presence of the person you are taking to makes it uniquely difference from face to face communication. Thirdly, dialogue in face-to-face communication engages more senses of human beings while mediated communication uses less sense. The sense of smell and touch are crucial in communication and this is the reason why face to face communication is more satisfying as compared to mediated approach. Although there has been the struggle to improve technology to assist mediated methods to acquire most of the features of communication, this has not been achieved. For instance, the development of video conferencing on Skype helps to include the senses of sight and allows use of non-verbal cues. However, it is clear that there is still difference between the two forms of social connections (Horton and Richard, 1956). On this note, the unique difference between mediated and face to face communication results to the changes in socialization in the contemporary society. Since the last two decades of the 20th century, the world has experienced a great transformational change in the field of technology. As most scholars suggest, the 21st century has led to the erosion of the traditional society ushering a new era of a new reformed society. Although the theories of a networked society evolved long before the proliferation of discrete information technology structures, it is clear that it is a process that has taken over the society today. The development of the information technology and its proliferation across the world has resulted to the formation of a global village or rather a global network. There a number of reasons why technology has continued to flow in the society today. First, the technological reforms are stills researching and coming with more innovative technologies that can transform the world. Secondly, the technologies are becoming cheaper and affordable allowing all members of the society to possess them. The media technology is creating technological awareness, informing people of the dynamics of technology and changing their way of thought. As technology continues to be absorbed, the world is becoming less detaching to region based networks and joining in the network of networks, that is the global network. These changes underpin the shift from face to face communication and mediated networks (Bargh, 2002). The society has lost it social links as people move across the globe in search for jobs, education and even to invest in potential areas. The fact that the society can no longer be constrained within the small traditional networks, new methods of socialization has to be adopted, hence the shift. Shifting from the face-to-face communication towards mediated communication has helped the society to beat the limitation of distance that has separated people during the period of non-mediated communication. In the traditional system, people faced the challenge of losing communication completely with members of the society who moved from away from them (Raymond, 2003). They could spend even years without even hearing from their relatives from upcountry, which resulted to breakage of social ties (McLuhan & Quentin, 2001). The internet technology has led to the emergence of new forms of networks. Internet technology is a platform for global communication that the society can embrace to break their small networks that were evident in the traditional social structures. Internet technology has become more accessible in the society due to reduced costs of service providers and reduced cost of access points. In an era when computer and mobile technology is becoming cheap, the society has better access to internet (Ball, 1968). Since internet is not geographically limited, it is possible to term is as a network of networks. It allows people to come together and share information no matter their geographical separation. Today, it is possible to send an e-mail from Africa to America within a flash of a second. This points out how it is easy to establish networks that are not limited to any geographical location. The internet has become a tool that dominates all the aspects of human life; economics, social, and political aspects. As the internet continues to penetrate in the social spheres, people continue to lose their social structure and adapt to new social structures that are technology driven. On this note, the society gained by being able to maintain social ties even while geographically separated through mediated communication methods. In the business environment, information technology has reformed the business network. Handelman (2003) points out that the internet technology has not only metamorphosed the society but also the business networks. Today organizations are striving to get into an efficient online presence to get more interconnected. Handelman (2003) says that the world has never been so independent and interconnected. In the advent of the internet and wed technology, local and global business organizations have formed greater networks to interconnect various market segments. The web 2.0 technology has allowed organizations to establish and effective online presence that has the potential to sell them beyond the domestic markets. This idea of Handelman (2003) may refer to the changes that have come to pass on business invention. For instance, today it is possible to sell products online from wherever one may be in the world and have them shipped to their destinations. Websites such as e-Bay allows customers to communicate with other customers or even the management. This is a manifestation of how networks have interconnected people from the global arena, providing them with an opportunity to remain close no matter their spatial separation. However, by shifting to mediated communication, the society lost the complete social ties that existed when they relied on face-to-face communication. Face-to-face communication allowed people to assist each other, communicate often and more emotionally with their small social units (Meyrowitz, 1985). On the other hand, the social structure slowly changed and social bonds melted down. The society became more conscious of the world around them giving them the mind of forming greater social circles. Broadcasting stations provided information across large geographical locations, changing the narrow perspective of social relations. The idea of authors that information networks resulted to formation of new social networks seems to refer to the expansion of social relationships since the emergence of mediation technology (Goggin and Christopher, 2007). Technology makes people more conscious of the world around them and provides opportunities for change of social structures. The world learns to share information knowledge and cultures with people across the entire world. The cumulative impact of this is that the social ties are broken and people move outwards to expand their social circles, eventually forming a network of networks (Kalantzis-Cope and Karim, 2011). The concept of globalisation implies that no human is any longer tied to their traditional home; they are free to roam across the world and to become part of the larger social circle. Therefore, it is practically impossible for people to share as much as they shared a few decades ago. Also, the society lost the emotional attachment that is brought about by co-presence of the people. For instance, traditionally, people shared in ceremonies every time a new child was born, which brought them together in an emotional atmosphere. Today, since it is possible for people to receive images and speak about issues without having to meet physically, they feel that there is no need to visit each other, leading to loss of emotional support (Hviid, 2010). On this note, the society lost its social ties due to the shift to mediated forms of communication. In conclusion, the emergence of information technology resulted to the formation of a networked society and the disappearance of the traditional social systems. In the last two decades of the 20th century, the digital information technology emerged creating a platform for the society to network socially, economically and even politically (Jenkins 2010). The society has adopted technology to form new communication channels that allow people to talk no matter their geographical location (Thompson, 1995). Through the internet, mobile and web technology, the people can communicate effectively. The impact of this is that social ties have been broken and people are free to move to any region in the world. The society is much more interconnected and the need for face to face communication has been eliminated. Business organizations can utilize the information network to attract more customers from global market segments. The vividness of digital communication makes it possible for people to remain connected and helps them to share ideas through the online presence. The internet is a network of networks that unites the whole world and ensures that geographical barriers are eliminated. However, there is social inequality as people out of the information network are isolated when making decisions that matter in their lives. Therefore, the shift from face-to-face communication to mediated forms of communication has resulted to change from physical space to social space. Bibliography Ball, W. 1968, ‘Toward a Sociology of Telephones and Telephoners’ in M. Truni (ed.) Sociology and Everyday Life, Englewood, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Bargh, J., 2002, Special Issue of Journal of Social Issues, Spring, 58(1): 1-05 Goffman, E., 1981. Forms of Talk, Oxford: Blackwell. 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