Media

One area that I think merits further discussion is mass media and, in particular, the effect that changes in mass media are having on the way we communicate and our lifestyles. The predominant media in the past has been non-interactive broadcast media, like radio and television. These media are mainly passive. They have had a huge impact on society by exposing the population to information that might otherwise be hard to access and also by influencing the culture. The Internet has provided many types of new media and communication. People can now modify and participate in media. Individuals can re-mix music, post-video, write blogs and comment on news articles. Individuals are having greater influence on media and culture. Also, media like text messaging, social networking, alerts and Twitter are leading to a more connected society, but the pace is much faster and the depth and trustworthiness of the content is affected. In contrast to past broadcast media, I think the Internet allows for more individualism and diversity of ideas (but that includes bad ideas too and can spread rumors, gossip etc. as well as useful information).

Intercultural communication

I found the concepts about intercultural cultural communication and the resulting barriers to communication to be most interesting. I was recently at an event where most of the people spoke Spanish. At first I withdrew and spoke only to people I knew. I then started thinking about the concepts we studied and the barriers to intercultural communication. The book mentions that openness, resilience and self-esteem are factors in successfully adapting to a new culture. I tried this at the event and had a much more rewarding afternoon. While there are many barriers to intercultural communication, I think a lot of issues come from a person’s attitude and whether they want to make an effort. When someone is lazy about communicating, they withdraw and fall back to their own culture and habits.

Research methods

I think Experimental Research is most interesting. It gives the researcher the opportunity to design the experiment and variable to be tested. It is a creative process rather than just observation. In some methods like Unobtrusive Methods, it may be very hard to collect enough observed information on the particular variables you want to test. The risk with Experimental Research is that the experiment may not isolate the manipulation of the particular variable to be tested. The design of the experiment may not recreate things as they occur in the real world and may unintentionally introduce new variables.

The following is a potential research question regarding deception:

Do non-verbal communications in facial expression, eye contact and posture provide an accurate indication of deception during interrogation of suspected criminals?

I would want to use the Unobtrusive Method to answer the question. I would consider observing police interrogations without being seen or influencing the interrogation. I would observer non-verbal behavior and then see if there is a correlation to deception based on facts that come to light through other evidence.


______________________________________

Media and communication

Broadcast media, such has television, generally uses one-way communication. With the Internet, new technologies are providing increased interactivity and participation in broadcast media including television. For example, YouTube allows users to post videos and recently announced a feature where a user’s videos can be linked right into blogs and news article. It will be interesting to see what effect interactivity and participation will have on traditional broadcast media. With everyone participating, there is more opportunity for different points of view. On the other hand, this broad participation may undermine trust in the content, similar to what has happened with blogs. This kind of media seems to promote advocacy where the facts may be twisted rather than objective reporting. There are so many choices for sources of information, and it becomes harder and harder to determine what sources to trust. Instead everyone seems to cite whatever “facts” fit their argument the best.

Is medium the message?

I believe that the medium is not as important as its content. The Internet illustrates how different media and formats can lead to very different types of messages and communication. For instance, Twitter limits messages to 140 characters, but provides a quick way to send a message to a group of people (called followers). It allows followers to feel connected to the sender of the message. Even though the content is short and often seems trivial, Twitter is extremely popular because it allows short, convenient messages to be exchanged. This leads to a different kind of content and communications.

Traditionally, I think television is a cool medium in that people want to relax when they watch. It is not interactive and people often want a passive experience. It is already visually rich and full of information, so people don’t need to be as aggressive in communicating (for example, compared to talk radio). However, it seems to be changing. With so many other choices for communication and entertainment (cable, satellite, Internet – email, videos, social networking etc., cell phone/text messaging), it seems that many television channels are becoming more provocative. Reality television is often designed to shock the viewer. Also, talk shows on cable news seem are becoming more provocative like talk radio.

Friendships in cyberspace

I have developed friendships that exist today exclusively online. However, they are generally with people who I knew in person in the past, such as people that I went to school with as a child. I have not really developed friendships online with people I have never met in person. I communicate with online friends through social web sites and email. These relationships are different than face to face relationships, because there is more control over the information and experiences that are shared and there is more control about when I participate in communication. We share photos and exchange messages about our families, but it is hard to get a sense of what the other person is really feeling and how they are doing. The nonverbal cues such as tone, facial expression and appearance are missing. However, it is more convenient. I can write an email or post information when I want to and can control what information I share more easily than in face to face relationships. I have not really developed online friendships with people I have never met in person. I think this is, in part, because there is a lack of trust about who the person really is, and I think it is impossible to develop a personal bond online than in face to face relationships.

Online communication

Online communication has had a major impact on the way teenagers communicate, form relationships and break up. I have two nieces that are teenagers and they are constantly either online, sending text messages or talking on the cell phone. During family events, they will be checking in on their friends and gossiping. They will even talk on the cell phone about what message to send to someone else online. This type of communication was not widely used when I was a teenager.

They seem to have far more casual friends. They share pictures, links, music and other online experiences with their friends. However, they seem detached in person and are always tethered to their online activity.

This takes away a lot from a real friendship. A new friend is only a mouse click away. The anonymity also makes them more bold. It is easier to break the ice online than to approach someone at a crowded dance, football game or other school activity for the first time (which was the main way of socializing when I was in high school).

The online communication also seems to breaking friendships easier. When something goes bad, it may be posted in a very public way that cannot be undone. In my younger niece’s junior high class, some people break up online or ridicule people on their Facebook page. Teasing and bullying is no longer limited to a small group. Everyone in the school learns about it, and it even becomes a form of entertainment and way to spread gossip.