I am taking it back to the days when Facebook was special. When access to Facebook was exclusive and it was the prime means of communication amongst college students and only college students. It was the social network that my friends and I awaited to join upon receipt of that official college e-mail address. Once registered, hands were privy to finding old elementary school friends and getting to know others as much as possible before classes started.
I was one of those who did not appreciate or accept the random friend requests from those who sought out my friendship before we met Ftf. My roommate, a friend from high school, was however very open to meeting others and establishing friendships via CMC. One such friendship that initiated over the summer before freshman year began was with a basketball player who would reside in the same dorm as us. He facebooked her in aid to make friends with those he would lived with. They began small talk during the summer, learning about each other’s home towns, future majors, and of course the dating relationship status. Messages were sent sparingly between the two being that both relied heavy on the notion that they would become closer once they met in person. Regardless, by the Uncertainty Reduction Theory they only began to like one another increasingly because they were able to exchange personal information and moreover became more open from the good impressions formed of one another.
As soon as school commenced she dragged me with her to meet her facebook friend. Under URT, being that I had no prior communication with this guy, no uncertainly was reduced about him. Rather, I over attributed all the negative aspects possibly tied to him, making me view him as a sketchy desperate guy who sought out my roommate because he is into weird online dating. I was basically just a bystander there to protect my dear roommate in case he turned out to be crazy. Their interaction definitely corresponded with Ramirez and Wang short term analysis which states that meeting Ftf after CMC would lead to a positive reaction and enhancing to the relationship between the two. Immediately they both got along well, continuing the small talk where they left off in facebook. Being that they already had a sense of one another’s social identity, they easily made a connection with one another. From my observation these positive outcomes where supported by their perception formed of one another through the Hyperpersonal Model. According to Walther, the model demonstrates that through CMC communication, partners select certain cues and overattribute them in relation to the individual. I know that my roommate thought highly of the basketball player being that foremost he was an athlete and second, he thought she was special enough to seek out friendship with. His affinity grew of her on basis of the only picture she portrayed on herself which eloquently showed off her tan and her Brazilian background. After leaving virtuality, they lived up to each others expectations allowing the relationship to be easily enhanced.
Now, we are all good friends up to this day regardless of my roommate’s eager anticipation of the friendship versus my negative stance on the whole situation.
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2 comments:
Susannie, good post and interesting story. I find it interesting that they continued the small talk they had on Facebook. It seems that through CMC, they both reduced uncertainty about each other and got to know each other. However, by the time school came along they still had more to talk about and continued their relationship.
However, if this were a long-term relationship, they may have ran out of things to talk about, making the modality switch more awkward and uneasy.
Susannie, good post. Your friend’s experience was a very good example of Uncertainty Reduction Theory. She obviously managed to get an initial impression of the person she met online but over the course of the summer was not able to form an impression that could compare to that of face to face. It would have been interesting to see how the relationship between your roommate and her new friend would have been had they met a lot earlier online and had more time to get to know each other before meeting in face to face. I like how you managed to add a second part to the description with your own experience based on having never spoken to the other person online or in face to face but since one of your good friends had seemed to like them, you must have formed some kind of impression.
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