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Psychology of Online Virtual Relationships: A New Way of Communicating

Donald Lee, Psychology of Online Virtual Relationships, G8/ Spring 98

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Selection For The Report On Psychology of Online Relationships

There were many different types of issues and topics that were brought up and discussed in this report concerning cyberspace. Much of the problems you would see in the real world are also happening in the world of cyberspace. Some of the topics that were discussed are: false identities, addiction, flaming, and the use of the internet for therapy. One of the issues in cyberspace is false identities. False identities in this case is when people pretend to be someone they really aren't. I guess this can be done in the real world also, but people would be more cautious because they can't hide behind the computer. Unlike on the computers the identities of people are more readily available. For instance, when people have relationships they usually communicate face to face. It would be very hard to tell a person you are 7 feet tall when you are actually 5 feet. A lot of the times it is said that sometimes when communicating through the computer by way of such things as chat rooms, people make up things and say things that they normally wouldn't. It is sort of their little fantasy world. It is okay, I guess to do this but not when you are misleading someone or saying things that may hurt another individual. Addiction was another thing that was discussed. Before reading this particular article I had heard of people getting addicted to the internet, but could quite understand how and why. It is said that one of the reasons that people get addicted to the internet is because they live their lives in the internet world instead of the real one. And so in this way they are dependent on the internet to help meet their needs. The article discusses a counseling center called Lifestream Behavioral Center. This particular center offers help and treatment for people who are dependent. It still amazing to believe that this is actually a problem, but I guess it is and for the people who have this problem it is good to know that there is somewhere you can go for help. Flaming was also discussed in this article. As with any type of communication sometimes you'll find people who may use improper language or talk in a threatening manner. There is no rule anywhere that says foul language is not allowed, but people should know better than to do this. Communicating by way of computer is a priviledge we have and it shouldn't be abused or atleast they should be considerate of others. Lastly I will mention the use of the internet as a means of therapy for people in need of treatment. Some of the so called therapists are turning to the internet as a means of communicating with his or her patients. I'm not quite sure how this is done, but I do feel that any kind of communication or treatment is a good one so long as it works. Many people disapprove of this type of therapy but who is to say it is right or wrong. What matters is how the patient feels about it.

Virtual Communities, Virtual Settlements & CyberArchaeology: A Theoretical Outline

With the number of internet users increasing everday there are relationships that develop amongst the people. This article by Quentin Jones tries to explain in more detail these relationships in cyberspace. Three major topics are mentioned. These include: virtual communities, virtual settlements, and cyber-archaeology. Virtual communities is said to be space, mediated by computers where there is integration of content and communication with an emaphasis on member generated content. The very first virtual communities were formed by scientists who used the internet to share data, collaborate on research, and exchange messages. Today, basically the same kinds of things are being done through the internet. The only difference is that the users can be anyone or anybody. There is however much debate of whether a virtual community is truly a community in the traditional sense. Some have argued that the virtual community doesn't meet the defintion of what a community is. It seems that these people will never come to an agreement because of the fact that there are so many defintions of what a community is. The second section of this report deals with virtual settlements is defined as a cyber place that is brought together by topic of interest and in which interrelated interactive group CMC occurs. In order to be a virtual settlement it must meet certain requirements. First of there must be a minimum level of interactivity. This means the extend to which in a given series of communication exchanges, and later exchanges refer to previous interactions. Secondly, there must be a variety of communications. Variety of communications is related to the first condition in that there must be a minimum of three communicators. Third, there must be a common-public place where the majority of interaction occurs. Lastly, there must be a minimum level of sustained membership. The last section of the report deals with the topic of cyber-archaeology which is defined as being the systematic exploration of cyberspace at the level where cyber material impacts on online. The word archaeology itself is the study of humanity's past by scientific analysis of the material remains of culture. The archaeologists, however don't research communities but rather examine the remains of human habitation.Technological determinism was mentioned in the report and this deals with the invention and adoption that will lead to a particular outcome. Many of these outcomes are just theories and are in terms of purpose. Some of the deterministic CMC theories include: CMC will change the workplace for the better, CMC will do away with the physical classroom, CMC will enhance democracy, and CMC is inherently egalitarian. The researchers who are studying cyber-archaeology are using a technique called pre-requisite and bounded hierachy, which allows for the determination that advances in technolgy served as pre-requisite for behavior in cyberspace. Another thing that was mentioned is that humans have limits on the cognitive process. It also says that there is too much information for us to handle.

Chat Rooms

Basketball

This was the first time I have ever experienced chatrooms. I didn't quite know what to expect or even how to get into one. I do however, have friends you frequently visit these chatrooms and they all say it is fun. I used the chat room in Yahoo. Luckily, it was fairly easy to use. When you first enter they ask if you are a member or not. Obviously, I wasn't so they allowed me to join as a guest. Once you get in they give you a choice of topics. I of course chose sports and then more specifically basketball. At first I just kind of observed what the conversation was about. The people in the chatroom were discussing the NBA playoffs. I became very interested because I too was keeping track of the games and had my own thoughts about the event. They were mostly talking about the previous games, why certain teams lost and won, and the chances of certain teams going all the way. These people really seemed to know what they were talking about. It was pretty fun to be involved with this chat.

Forums

Motley Fool

Recently, I have become interested in finance and the stock market. I am kind of thinking about investing my money, but wasn't quite sure how to go about it. Scrolling down the list of topics I came across a section that discussed technology companies. I heard from people that this sector was doing quite well and that it would be a good idea to invest money in technology companies. I became curious and interested so I clicked on the forum which was entitled, Forum For The Individual Investor and under that it had a section on technology. There was a lot of information such as profiles of certain companies and how they were doing. The amount of information was overwhelming. There was a lot of debate of whether the tech sector was going to have continued success which made it seem a bit risky for me to get into but they were much positive things said that was good. Overall, I enjoyed viewing this site. Many people could get a lot of information and different views of others, especially if they are interested in the topic.

Clubs

Piston's Fan Club

I must say that I was very excited to find this club. Growing up in Michigan and following the Detroit Pistons for as long as I can remember it was cool that there were fans of the Pistons other than myself. In particular site you can find all sorts of cool stuff pertaining to the Pistons team and players. It had a lot of neat pictures, history on the team and individual players, a whole lot of statistics and profiles on the current players. It was cool to see all these things devoted just to the Detroit Pistons. Visiting this site was really a great experience for me. It brought back a lot of memories. Knowing that my fellow Piston fans and I have a place to go if we want to be kept updated on all the Piston events is very comforting.
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Game Rooms

Game Room

This had to be the best discovery for me. I never knew such a thing existed. When I got into this site I noticed that there were a lot of different types of games to choose from. For example there were games like hangman, blackjack, and best of all different games where you can play or and win CASH prizes. CASH! I can imagine that this site would be very popular. Not only is it entertaining but it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. There's something for everyone.

Internet Cafes
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Internet Cafe

The only internet cafe I've heard of before doing this report was the coffee shop. I had no clue that the people inside actually got on computers and communicated with other people outside. Once I realized what Internet Cafe was, I thought that it was pretty cool. It's amazing to know that you can actually be talking to someone from anywhere in the world; Europe, Asia, or the mainland U.S. It is good to know that whenever I need to use the computer and want a good cup of coffee I can always go to the internet cafe.

My Thoughts On Virtual Relationships

This research on virtual relationships has really taught me a lot concerning the types of relationships that can develop over the internet. It made me realize also that there is another means of communicating besides the traditional face to face interactions or talking on the phone. I feel in many ways communicating through the internet is very exciting and different. By using the internet and interacting with numerous amounts of people one can get different views on certain matters that one has never thought of before, they can learn what it is actually like to live in Africa by talking to someone there, they can learn new things, and it can also be entertaining. When all these things develop with one or more person, a relationship develops. I must say that this has been a great experience for me. I have learned many new things such as learning how to communicate through chat rooms and forums. Through the use of the internet I feel that this will create an even closer bond between people from all over the world. The use of the internet is so convenient and much cheaper than actually visit a foreign country or talking on the phone. A stronger bond is developed through communication and the internet seems to be the perfect oppurtunity and equipment to do this. It is amazing to know that a little girl from Hawaii can actually talk to a little girl in Africa, asking what she did in school or what games they play. I feel that the internet will have a big part in the future of society and its evolution. As I mentioned the internet will definitely bring people from all over together. If we can all share the knowledge we have with each other the possibilities of making this world a better place is endless. As more and more people begin to use computers I feel that this will really happen.

Leslie Francis(G5)

Leslie Francismentions in her report about newsgroups and her experiences with them. Leslie is currently using the newsgroups called NewsXpress. She previously used the one in UH Unix but says that the NewsXpress is definitely more user friendly in that you can just point and click compared to viewing each topic which is very time consuming. Leslie mentions that there are rules that are involved when using newsgroups, such as using one topic per message. I didn't know this. Lastly, the topic of flaming in e-mails and spaming was brought up, which she found in alt.spam. She noticed that a lot of this flaming wasn't directed toward a certain individual but rather remarks that were sexist or a comment on ethnicity. Leslie report made me realize that this flaming thing is definitely becoming a problem. I hear about it more and more but I guess in the end you can't really do much about it. It is up to the people to be more respectful and considerate. Unfortunately this will probably always exist.

Asako Shinagawa(G5)

Asako Shinagawa's report discussed the topic of virtual relationships. She begins by saying that before taking Psychology 409 she knew very little about how to use or about computers. Later on in the semester she has gained much more knowledge and shares some of it in this report. In her report Asako tries to define what virtual reality and cyberspace is. She also mentions that there are two aspects of the the human mind that govern behavior and that is:1) cognitive and 2) affective. The word netizens, which is the people who use the internet is also described. Asako mentions that this is more of a spiritual experience.Lastly, she discusses the formation of a virtual reality and that is the socializing under virtual identities. This allows us to express how we really feel or say what we really want to say with the exclusion of stereotypes or bias. I found Asako's report very informative on the topic of virtual reality. It brought back points I might have missed or never knew.

Ms. Singh

My Comments
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Reaction To Classmates

After viewing my classmates reports on virtual reality I must say that they all did a great job. It was interesting to see that although we were doing the same topic some of us feel a bit different on some of the issues. We all got different things after researching the topic, but overall the general definitions were similar. All of the reports were presented very nicely and you can see that a lot of the people in class are very creative and imaginative. I really enjoyed all the reports.

My Suggestions For Future Generations

I'm not sure how much will change with this topic in the future. It may even become so popular that it may be possibly used in everyday conversations. For me, I had on knowledge whatsoever on the topic of virtual relationships. I'm glad I learned the many things that are involved it. Surely it will come in very handy for me in the future in some way. I really enjoyed some of the places where people interact, such as chat rooms and clubs. It was not only fun but informative too. For the future generations I suggest that you learn and experience virtual reality as much as you can. The best way to go about it is to just have fun, don't think of it as an assignment. Hopefully you guys will have a positive experience.


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