Electronic Relationships

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Electronic Relationships

• Email. Texting. Instant Messenger. Cyber Affairs.
  And Many More

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Introduction

• In western societies electronic mediated
  communication a.k.a electronic relationships is
  increasing.
• Psychologists have looked at how people have used
  these mediums to form, maintain and dissolve
  relationships.
• They have assisted and replaced face to face
  communication.

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Email

• Electronic mail quickly sent via the internet
  and collected by recipient anywhere in the world
  with internet access.
• An aid to maintain long distance relationships.
• Partners seek great importance in the text
  written and thus some may read between the lines.
  (Chenault 98)

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• Chenault (Case Study) Found a woman exchanged
  increasingly intimate and sexy emails with a
  colleague from work. However face to face
  encounters they were no more than colleagues.
• This shows that electronic relationships can be
  confusing due to the lack of facial expressions
  and the nature of being able to just log off.
  There are reduced cues and deindividuation (a
  lack of individual identity).

5
Mobile Phones in Relationship

• Ling and Helmersen suggested following the main
  functions
• Coordination organising events
• Parental controls keep tabs on children
• Emancipation independence for young people
• However mobile phones use may be dangerous.

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Texting (SMS and MMS)

• SMS short message service. Sending a short
  message from one mobile to another
• MMS multi media message. Sending media messages
  such as photos to another mobile.
• It has developed a new revolution in language.
• Look at the sheet and try work out what the
  messages are saying

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Texting in Relationships

• Texting can be used to initiate relationships.
• Lukats The study of 1,000 single people
  discovered that six out of ten (60) of casual
  daters use text to arrange their first meeting,
  whereas voice calls were the choice of over two
  thirds (67) of people looking for a serious
  relationship

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• Texting has caused a minor revolution in the way
  we communicate in the early stages of a
  relationship, but singles looking for love would
  be wise to take note of this research. A few
  friendly texts can be fine, but the recipient is
  likely to view texts or emails as being more
  impersonal as they dont require as much effort
  Luktas.
• Williams found that as relationships develop the
  ritual of texts becomes a sign of intimacy. As
  they can be kept as treasures.
• Do you keep all those nice texts saved in your
  inbox to look over?

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But..

• Texting can also be used to end an relationship.
  To avoid confrontation.
• Robinson 100 young peoples texting habits
  studied and it was found that SMS messaging
  increased when a relationship was near the
  beginning or end.
• 15 of participants had been dumped by text.
• Sex Differences Men were more likely to send
  practical texts whilst women would send ones
  about emotions.
• Texting also lacks facial expressions and
  intimacy. To solve this paralanguage was created.

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Paralanguage

• A way to convey emotions when sending electronic
  communication.
• You may have seen this

This is an example of paralanguage used in your
everyday lives. No excuse to forget what they are!
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Cyber-ffairs

• These are romantic sexual relationships initiated
  through contact on the internet.

• Griffiths 99 identified 3 types of
  relationships
• Erotic dialogue for sexual arousal
• Emotional relationship which leads to offline
  contact
• Meet offline but maintain a
• relationship online because of geographical
  distance

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Cyber-ffairs cont.

• These can sometimes occur when someone is already
  in a relationship with someone else Cyber
  Betrayal.
• Cyber-ffairs can develop quickly as you are less
  likely to feel judged.
• They can occur on instant messaging or emails.
• Evaluation They can be seductive because
  internet access is easy and affordable and offers
  emotional escape however they tend to lack
  commitment and stability.

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Evaluation

• Non-face to face communication is not new. In the
  past people communicated by letters.
• Reduced cues can lead to anti-social behaviour.
• Email replies if replied straight away can mean
  eagerness as slow response can mean laziness.
• They are good for lazy and shy people or people
  who may not have time for face to face.
• They are good for finding people who you share
  interests with. E.g. in cyber-ffairs you know
  what the relationships purpose is.
• However the main threat is deception.