Virtual Relationships in Social Media

• Self disclosure in virtual relationships:

  • Walther proposed the hyper-personal model of virtual relationships, suggesting that, as self-disclosure in online relationships happens earlier than in face-to-face ones, relationships quickly become more intense & feel more intimate & meaningful.
• Reasons for increased self-disclosure in virtual relationships:

  • Self disclosure may happen earlier in social media because of the anonymity associated with online relationships.
  • People tend to hold off disclosing personal information in real life for fear of ridicule or rejection, but there is less risk of this in virtual relationships.
  • Self disclosures with online acquaintances are similar to the 'strangers on the train' phenomenon (Rubin, 1975).
  • Rubin explained that we are more likely to disclose personal information to people we don't know & may never see again.
• • Walther also suggests that virtual relationships may feel more intimate because it is easier to manipulate self disclosure online than face-to-face.
  • PPs in online convo have more time to 'edit' their responses to present themselves in a more positive light-named 'selective self-presentation'.
  • Projecting a positive image will then make an online partner want to disclose more personal information, increasing the intensity of the relationship.
• • Another reason: absence of gating in virtual relationships.
  • In online relationships there is an absence of the barriers or 'gates' that normally limit the opportunity for the less attractive, shy or less socially skilled, to form relationships in face-to-face encounters.
  • We can try to attract those we feel we wouldn't be able to in the real world.
  • Even if untruths discovered later, the already developed attraction & intimacy created by more open self disclosure, may mean the relationship continues.
• Evaluation for increased self disclosure in virtual relationships- strength:

  • Research indicates that social media access is increasingly important in relationship formulation. Rosenfield & Thomas studied 4000 American adults & found 72% of those with internet access were married or had a romantic partner compared to only 36% of those without internet access.
  • Indicates that social media is an important contributing factor in relationship formation & needs to be studied if science is to keep up its understanding for interventions.
• Evaluation for increased self disclosure in virtual relationships- strength:

  • It may be that social media is particularly beneficial for people with certain 'gates' to creating relationships. Baker & Oswald found that for students who scored high for shyness, greater use of facebook was a associated with higher perceptions of friendship quality. This wasn't the same for individuals low in shyness.
  • Indicates a positive value in virtual relationships in specific cases.
• Evaluation for increased self disclosure in virtual relationships- strength:

  • Virtual relationships can be as strong as offline relationships- often claimed that the nature of internet communication is such that it can only lead to superficial relationships that cannot compare to the richness of face-to-face relationships.
  • However, Rosenfield (2012) found no difference in the quality or stability of relationships formed online or offline.
  • Indicates the credibility of online sources for relationship formation.
• Evaluation for increased self disclosure in virtual relationships- weakness:

  • Are important gender differences in virtual relationships- Mckenna et al (2002) found that women tended to rate their relationships formed online as more intimate & valued self disclosure, especially in regards to emotion, more highly than men.
  • Men preferred activity-based disclosure (eg common interests in sports) & rated their online relationships as less close than face-to-face ones.
  • Suggests that research into online relationships shows alpha-bias; it assumes that M & F experiences on virtual rela are different