Absence of gating outline

• A gate is any obstacle to the formation of a relationship
• FtF interactions are gated as there are many features that can interfere with early development of a relationship
• Gates that may occur FtF include physical unattractiveness, a stammer and social anxiety
• McKenna and Bargh(1999) argue that an advantage of CMC is that there is an absence of gating
• This means a relationship can develop where self-disclosure becomes more frequent and deeper as the absence of gating allows the relationship to ‘get off the ground’
• This is less likely to occur FtF
• The absence of gating occurs because it refocuses attention on self-disclosure and away from what may be considered superficial and distracting features i.e. People online may focus more on what someone says than what they look like
• Furthermore, people are free to create online identities that they could never manage FtF, like an introvert becoming an extrovert, almost like creating a second life due to absence of gating