Another Experience Sharing About Computer Mediated Communication by Nur Syahirah

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Computer mediated communication (CMC), according to Walther (1996) is driven to develop social relationships. This is of course, pretty similar to the aim of communicating face-to-face. However, he also claims that there is a key difference between communicating through CMC such as through chats and videos, with the traditional face-to-face communication is the rate of social information exchange between one party to the other from the absence of nonverbal signals, like a nod or the questioning gesture of a slightly raised eyebrow. Sure, communicating through CMC is not as satisfying as communicating face-to-face but that is not always the case. Some do prefer communicating through CMC as compared to face-to-face conversations. 

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       I, for an instance, favor and am very much engaged in CMC simply because it is very convenient. For an example, I am able to send out messages quicker with CMC through online chatting. Also, engaging in CMC has allowed for a broader worldview as I am able to search for global news online without having to go out and purchase the newspaper. In a global society as of today, some of us, if not all, prefer to get things done efficiently. 

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          In fact, Giddens (1990) as cited in Sapiera (2012) stated that the global society that we are today is no longer restricted to time and space. With digital media, this is made possible. Digital media such as mobile usage has allowed society to be less dependent on time and space therefore, being able to interact with each other across the globe at any time (World Economic Forum, 2016). Therefore, as for me, CMC has eased a lot of my experiences as an alternative to my means of communication.

References

Sapiera, E. (2012). Understanding new media. London, England: SAGE Publications.

Walther, J.B. (1996). Computer-mediated Communication: Impersonal, Interpersonal, and Hyperpersonal Interaction. Communication Research, 23(3), 3-43.

World Economic Forum. (2016). Digital media and society: Implications in a hyper connected era. Retrieved from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_DigitalMediaAndSociety_Report2016.pdf