Computer-Mediated Communication Simply put, computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a process of computers mediating interactions between individuals. Communicating through technology allows individuals to have a level of control in what gets communicated. An aspect of CMC that can seem scary to many is the accessibility individuals have to shear information such as their thoughts and feels, but also be able to hide themselves behind a computer. Figure _ is a popular 1993 cartoon done by Peter Steiner that reads,“On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog” …show more content…
In this example the sender is the individual transmitting the break up message, the message is, “This relationship is over,” and the receiver is the other individual receiving the message. In the case of the interaction taking place face-to-face (FtF) the channel is verbal and nonverbal communications: The sender is verbally telling the message and can nonverbal convey the message by shearing emotions through body language. If the channel is changed to a cell phone where the sender’s message is transmitted through a text message the future relationship between the two individuals also changes. The way the message is preserved and the interaction outcome change dramatically even though the only change between the two scenarios in the channel. Most individuals feel strongly that breaking off a relationship over a text message is not the “right” thing to do: Ending a relationship through text messaging is seen as an unacceptable replacement to breaking up FtF. The negative views of text message breakups can be because of the impersonal interaction where the sender convey that they do not care about the situation, cutting off the receiver does not allowing for a chance to respond, and the sender can not see the consequences of the message. Based on efficiency, using a cell phone is the optimal channel for the sender to achieve the goal of ending the …show more content…
Nonverbal such as body language and tone of voice are often used to tell if one is lying; for example, if they are looking you in the eyes, if they are fidgeting, or if the pitch of their voice changes. One can easily be deceived by another in communication channels that lack visuals; however, in FtF a skilled lier can use nonverbal to hide the fact that they are lying. This challenges the idea that visuals alone can not conclude if an individual is lying. Disentrainment is the notion that when we interact online we are able to break the time constraints that happen FtF. In a FtF interaction where one asks a question the other individual must answer immediately: If the individual breaks for a couple of minutes before answer the question, one will become concerned about the amount of time needed. With CMC one has the ability to take more time and to think through and plan the answer; however, more time to plan a response offers the increased possibility