Before the large advancements in technology, you would walk down the street in the summer and they would be filled with children playing games in them. Now you only see cars, or people walking to work, but you do notice that there are less people in the streets. The Internet has allowed people to continue socializing with their friends from the comfort of their homes. Cocking and Matthew argue that is impossible for a new close friendship to be created over the Internet while Briggle disagrees. I concur with Briggle, that it is possible for close friendships to be made over the Internet and this essay should provide evidence for this to be accepted. Cocking and Matthew (2000), describe friendship as “a personal relationship characterized by
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Using the conditions mentioned above for determining friendship, Cocking and Matthew provide us with their reasons as to why a strong friendship is unable to be created over the Internet. They talk about the interpretation of friends, how one views the others traits and this would help mold their close friendship into what it is. On the Internet, you are able to control who you are, meaning that you are able to play yourself up and only state the good feats about yourself and not have to say your bad ones. The paper also states that the way we respond to one another online is unnatural to how one responds to their friends. They explain that it is up to you, as to when we (if we want to) respond to our friends and that they can be made without being interrupted by our friends (Cocking and Matthews 2000). It seems that close friendships are unable to be made because of the lack of information that can be shown over the Internet, this is non-voluntary information, things that a friend would notice without you telling them. According to Cocking and Matthew “What is lost, are important characteristics of a person which are developed through interaction with friends, these of which, deteriorate by self-disclosure in the virtual world” (Cocking and Matthew 2000). Thus, close friendships are unable to be created over the Internet because of …show more content…
Briggle feels that the distance between people reduces the constrictiveness of offline relationships allowing people to be more honest. As well as “the deliberateness of written responses enhances the quality of the friendship”. His first argument is that cyberspace relationships can be just as real as offline, due to the distance and slowed pace of the online world, the second point is that mediated indicators can be more accurate then offline indicators. Briggle’s first example used a man in the military and a man from Boston unable to be in the war. They become pen pals allowing each other to complain about their situations, and get to know each other, each of which is part of forming a friendship. Seeing as the distance between these pen pals is great, Briggle believes that “because of the distance, there is no reason to lie”, meaning that one can be comfortable due to the fact that the distance acts as a buffer. His other example uses an accountant where stresses within her occupation from co-workers and friends on her sports team, which force her to not be herself. Whereas on the Internet, she could form a close bond with someone due to the distance. Briggle also believes that the writing of responses, whether Email or Hand written, is slower then talking
Using the conditions mentioned above for determining friendship, Cocking and Matthew provide us with their reasons as to why a strong friendship is unable to be created over the Internet. They talk about the interpretation of friends, how one views the others traits and this would help mold their close friendship into what it is. On the Internet, you are able to control who you are, meaning that you are able to play yourself up and only state the good feats about yourself and not have to say your bad ones. The paper also states that the way we respond to one another online is unnatural to how one responds to their friends. They explain that it is up to you, as to when we (if we want to) respond to our friends and that they can be made without being interrupted by our friends (Cocking and Matthews 2000). It seems that close friendships are unable to be made because of the lack of information that can be shown over the Internet, this is non-voluntary information, things that a friend would notice without you telling them. According to Cocking and Matthew “What is lost, are important characteristics of a person which are developed through interaction with friends, these of which, deteriorate by self-disclosure in the virtual world” (Cocking and Matthew 2000). Thus, close friendships are unable to be created over the Internet because of …show more content…
Briggle feels that the distance between people reduces the constrictiveness of offline relationships allowing people to be more honest. As well as “the deliberateness of written responses enhances the quality of the friendship”. His first argument is that cyberspace relationships can be just as real as offline, due to the distance and slowed pace of the online world, the second point is that mediated indicators can be more accurate then offline indicators. Briggle’s first example used a man in the military and a man from Boston unable to be in the war. They become pen pals allowing each other to complain about their situations, and get to know each other, each of which is part of forming a friendship. Seeing as the distance between these pen pals is great, Briggle believes that “because of the distance, there is no reason to lie”, meaning that one can be comfortable due to the fact that the distance acts as a buffer. His other example uses an accountant where stresses within her occupation from co-workers and friends on her sports team, which force her to not be herself. Whereas on the Internet, she could form a close bond with someone due to the distance. Briggle also believes that the writing of responses, whether Email or Hand written, is slower then talking