Psychology
Virtual Relationships in Social Media
Virtual relationships in social media refer to connections formed and maintained through online platforms. These relationships can impact individuals' emotions, self-esteem, and social interactions. The lack of face-to-face interaction in virtual relationships may lead to challenges in accurately interpreting emotions and intentions, potentially affecting the quality and depth of the connection.
Written by Perlego with AI-assistance
Related key terms
1 of 5
4 Key excerpts on "Virtual Relationships in Social Media"
eBook - PDF- David A. Ellis(Author)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Cambridge University Press(Publisher)
chapter 3 Social Interaction and Interpersonal Relationships Long before mobile technology facilitated remote communication, psy- chological science concluded that people have an intimate desire to con- nect with others. This need to affiliate drives people to form positive and lasting personal relationships in online and offline domains (Hogg and Vaughan, 2005; Nadkarni and Hofmann, 2012). Several avenues of research have further confirmed that sociability and the subsequent gen- eration of interpersonal relationships remain inherently linked to emo- tional well-being (Cheek and Buss, 1981). For example, social interaction across the day, in some instances, appears to improve cognitive function more than physical activity (Bielak, Mogle and Sliwinski, 2017), although there is some debate regarding the importance of this link (Cohen, 2004). While it is generally accepted that social relationships and affiliation have a positive impact on health, the exact mechanisms are less clear (Berkman et al., 2000). Regardless, long-term social separation has a negative impact on general health and well-being, particularly when this occurs earlier in life or following the death of a close partner (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015; Stroebe et al., 1992). Considering more immediate effects, social rejection activates portions of the brain associated with physical pain (Eisenberger, Lieberman and Williams, 2003). Early virtual communities in the 1980s allowed people to chat with groups that had common interests (Rheingold, 1993). Graphical web browsers followed in the mid 1990s. Both developments opened up new opportunities for communication between members of a community with common interests via the internet. Today, there is little doubt that the internet has completely changed how people develop new relationships and join groups. The rapid adoption of smartphones (World Bank Group, 2015) has led to a second wave of dating apps, including Tinder and Grindr.
- Sandra L. Calvert, Barbara J. Wilson, Sandra L. Calvert, Barbara J. Wilson(Authors)
- 2009(Publication Date)
- Wiley-Blackwell(Publisher)
Moreover, the Internet has provided an entirely new mediated environment in which to form interpersonal relationships. Clearly relationships form in all con-texts in which people encounter others. This chapter has shown that parasocial and online social relationships are based on principles similar to those that govern face-to-face relationships, and that interpersonal communication theories provide insight into the process by which such relationships develop, deepen, and dissolve. Further research on the similarities and differences in relationships formed in various mediated contexts, and the ways these relationships contribute to identity development, could be one way to bridge the areas of mass and inter-personal communication and integrate theory. Parasocial and Online Social Relationships 327 Finally, relatively few studies on the topics reviewed in this chapter have expli-citly taken a developmental perspective, although some report age differences in specific outcomes. There is a rich tradition of scholarship that has addressed the developmental processes involved in the formation of personal and social identity (Harter, 1999; Kroger, 2003; Ruble et al., 2004). This literature needs to be extended to the role that media experiences play in the development of young people’s relationships and identity construction. Conclusion The media environment is a social world that offers young people an opportu-nity to interact with and form attachments to a wide range of people. Research reviewed in this chapter shows that they form deep bonds with media figures, and that they use the Internet to keep in touch with friends, develop new friendships, and interact with others.
eBook - PDF- Jeffrey A. Hall(Author)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Cambridge University Press(Publisher)
3 Theoretical Perspectives on Personal Media and Relationships When we study how technology is used in the context of personal relationships, particularly if that perspective is housed in the communication discipline, there is a set of assumptions about what it means to be in a relationship. Coming from that perspective myself, I would like to take a moment to clarify what I think those assumptions are. As I discussed in Chapter 1, human relationships are necessary for human survival both now and during our evolutionary past, but our ability to form and maintain those relationships is limited practically by time and cognitively by our relational carrying capacity. Thus, at any given moment, we are accompanied by only a few important others as we venture on this caravan through life. At the end of Chapter 2, I stated that relational maintenance is necessary for relationships to form and continue to exist, and that social interactions, both mediated and FtF, are the place to study how we relate to others. As Parks (2007) eloquently put it: “Relationships live in communication” (p. 24). Interpersonal communication research is grounded in social interactions and the talk within them, and less so in internal or psychological factors. It is through social interaction that we come to understand, make meaning, and feel connected to one another. Although this perspective asserts that talk makes relationships manifest, the evolved mechanisms that steer us toward others, such as needs and motivations, require attention as well. Although there are other assumptions that accompany the study of interpersonal communication and the study of media (and these are not necessarily the same assumptions), from my perspective they can be summarized as: rela- tionships are fundamental to survival and thriving, are constituted by talk, and need maintenance to exist.
eBook - ePub- Gráinne Kirwan, Irene Connolly, Hannah Barton, Marion Palmer(Authors)
- 2024(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
- Many people engage in the surveillance of potential, current, or ex-partners on Facebook and other social network sites. Think about your own experience. Do you think that this is socially acceptable or healthy behaviour? If you knew that someone was seeking information from your profile, would that raise concerns for you about your privacy?
- If a person has an online relationship with someone other than his or her partner, but never meets them offline, is it really cheating?
Recommended Reading List
This book explores how technology impacts and interacts with our relationships, from online dating to technology in romantic relationships and its use in dissolving them, to technology-enhanced robot and augmented reality relationships.- Papacharissi, Z. (Ed.). (2018). A networked self and love (pp. 208–218). Routledge.
Two of the chapters in The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpsychology are particularly relevant. Chapter 7 looks at how technology can interfere with and disrupt partner and family relationships.- Drouin, M., & McDaniel, B. T. (2019). Technology interference in couple and family relationships. In A. Attrill-Smith, C. Fullwood, M. Keep, & D. J. Kuss (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of cyberpsychology (pp. 115–132). Oxford University Press.
Chapter 11 examines online romantic relationships and, in particular, delves into the psychological benefits and potential harms of dating online dating.- Lloyd, J., Attril-Smith, A., & Fullwood, C. (2019). Online romantic relationships. In A. Attrill-Smith, C. Fullwood, M. Keep, & D. J. Kuss (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of cyberpsychology (pp. 195–215). Oxford University Press.
This Pew Research report examines how people are using technology both to find new romantic relationships and within their existing ones. It looks at how technology can distract and disrupt relationships, as well as how couples can use it more positively to connect with a partner.- Vogels, E. A., & Anderson, M. (2020, May). Dating and relationships in the digital age. Pew Research Center : Internet & Technology
Index pages curate the most relevant extracts from our library of academic textbooks. They’ve been created using an in-house natural language model (NLM), each adding context and meaning to key research topics.
