Virtual relationships

Virtual relationships

1. Self Disclosure

   • Jourard 1971 proposed 'broadcasting self disclosure' to explain public disclosing and SD to romantic partner.
     • Public = edited self
       • When using social media i.e. facebook, people exercise different levels of SD whether they are presenting publically / privately.
         • Privately more SD of intimate details sue to choosing of who the info is going to.
         • Publically = more selective of content and less intimate
   • People compensate for lack of control over audience by controlling the info the audience sees

2. Why do people SD more online?

   • FACE TO FACE = greater chances of info being spread, causing ridicule and confidentiality violated.
     • Internet anonymity = SD without as much disapproval from others
       • Rubin (1975): highly personal information was often revealed to strangers on a train journey, when people were safe in the knowledge that they were unlikely to meet again
       • Stranger does not have access to social circle and so confidentiality isn't an issue.

3. Absence of gating in virtual life

   • Face to face physical appearance and mannerisms determine who we approach, with age, ethnicity and attractiveness being factors
     • Being online allows less attractive / shy people to form relationships as these barriers are not present
   • Consequences:
     • A persons true self is likely to be exposed early on due to lack of traditional gating that would prevent too much SD.
     • Zhao et al found social networks empower those who struggle with gated face to face meetings
       • Also allows the truth to be bent and create a more desirable person. I.e. catfishing / using a younger picture of yourself on a dating profile

4. EVALUATION:

   • Importance of the internet
     • Rosenfeld and Thomas 2012 studied 4000 US adults and those with internet were more likely to be in a relationship
       • 71.8% with internet connection were partnered.
     • 35.9% without internet were partnered
     • Even in despite of other factors, internet = less likely to be single.
     • Internet is displacing traditional ways of dating
   • Virtual = strong as face to face
     • Rosenfeld and Thomas 2012 found no evidence of online relationships producing superficial relationships only
     • Disproving Putnam 2000
   • Biological basis for SD online
     • Tamir and Mitchell 2012 found increased MRI activity in 2 brain responses associated with reward (NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS AND VENTRAL TEGMENTAL AREA)
     • Activated strongly when discussing self but not so much when discussing others
     • Greater pleasure sensation when sharing thoughts with friends / family and less pleasure when keeping thoughts private.
       • SD = Rewarding
   • Consequences in reality
     • Creating an online persona = bending the truth. Zhao found the 2 worlds should not be separated
       • Lack of gating online means in reality a person may not be able to keep up the persona they create online and therefore = relationship failure.
   • Online helps shy people
     • Baker and Oswald 2010 found shy people are able to overcome barriers when on social media and was associated with higher perceptions of friendship quality