Unit 57
What Makes the Internet Attractive?
Cyberspace communications, including email discussion groups, chatrooms, bulletin boards and blogs, offer people an opportunity to experience a form of social contact, with no real social presence. Some people find it so attractive that they do not know when to stop. Others might think the Net a cold place, and yet it need not be. In the cold isolation of our large cities, where people often live separated from kin or lonely in the crowds, the Net can become a surrogate social-life -- a vital source of interpersonal contact.
An on-line communication is an easy way to meet new people. Certainly it is very low-risk due to the essential informality of on-line conversation. Rather than being required to keep a single conversation with one or more people, relationships usually form out of numerous, often short exchanges. In a way, it reminds us of commuters who take the bus. They see each other frequently but each meet is fairly short. In situations like this the pressure is minimal. If you'd rather read the paper than chat then you just do it and don't worry about it. But, over time, many people form lasting relationships this way. In the on-line environment, just like any other social situation, the basic element is human attention. In the public forums, you communicate with groups that may have as many as several hundred people involved -- even if they don't all make comments. Therefore, online communication increases the range of possible social networks that a person can connect to, and adds elements of diversity that are appealing.
There is also a "hyper-personal aspect" to Internet communications, a way to be more selective about how one presents oneself. Images are formed in written words. Perfect self images are above an ordinary level, as users respond to each other's incomplete and selective presentations. Theoretically, this could help account for the flame of wars and love affairs that happen on the net.
In addition, there can be a voyeuristic aspect to cyberspace contact. People that "lurk", take part in a read-only mode, in chatrooms or email groups, are witnessing the ideas, feelings and interactions of the active users. In some forums, lurking is a means of gaining access to very personal information that no real life forum can offer.
The features of Internet communication that stand out include: easy and 24 hour access, the wide range of personal connections possible, the hyper-personal nature of interpersonal relationships, the ability to witness others interacting with no risk. Many people may find one or more of these factors attractive enough to become addicted to Internet activities. The fascination is understandable, as cyber communications go beyond geographic borders and expand the ability of people with common interests to share ideas important to them. |