Computer Mediated Technology and Social Interaction (original) (raw)

The field of communication’s uptake of computers, networks, and the internet: 1970–2000

Internet Histories, 2019

Our goal in this article is to understand the historical sequences as well as consequences of the internet on the development of the academic field of communication. As a field that has one foot in the study of a most basic and necessary human activity, and another foot in the study of innovative technology, has scholarship in the field of communication followed internet developments? Is there a lag between technological developments and communication research focused on those developments? We attempt to answer our questions by searching for keywords (such as computer, internet, CMC, etc.) in content from communication journals from 1970 to 2000. We find that a large number of keywords were entirely absent, and many of the occurrences involved the same small number of terms, indicative of a relatively narrow and/or shallow amount of interest in these phenomena. The dominance of terms like 'computer' and 'internet' (and, eventually, 'Web') indicate a generalist tone at work in these articles. There is relatively little breadth in the vocabulary related to computers and the internet, suggesting that the field of communication that was seemingly trying to digest the entire (constructed) category of behavior associated with computers and the internet in one gigantic linguistic bite rather than focusing on activities taking place via this new medium. There was not yet a sense of meaningful differentiation in what internet-based communication could involve; 'internet' communication was simply communication occurring by means of an internet-based delivery system; a new medium, figuratively and literally.

Internet-from the Encyclopedia of Communication

Encyclopedia of Globalization, 2007

The "internet" refers to the global system of computer networks which are linked together through a common protocol. Although there are many diverse functions associated with internet technologies, the most significant and recurrent feature of the Internet is its role as a communication technology, allowing instantaneous global communication and access to information. The technologies themselves change rapidly, with new functions and applications arising with remarkable speed, making any discussion of the technology somewhat obsolete. The technologies associated with the Internet reflected global developments in communication technologies, and facilitated the worldwide transmission of information, making the Internet perhaps the ultimate technology associated with technology.

E-Mail: Communication of the Future?

1998

This article addresses issues related to one particular type of electronic messaging, namely e-mail. E-mail appears to serve two primary purposes in the world and society. First, it is used as a form of communication that allows individuals, no matter where they are located, to communicate with each other on a regular basis at a low cost. Second, is the use of e-mail to advertise and sell goods and services to individuals. E-mail as an instructional aid may provide students with greater access to faculty and peers, with the Internet providing access to a wider array of educational resources for students and faculty. Additionally, faculty may provide notes and materials to students through e-mail, allowing students to access this information at any time. Although there are many advantages to using e-mail, several disadvantages are inherent in the use of this technology. Two popular views have been posited about communication and relationships that develop through the use of electronic media, especially e-mail. One view portrays relationships that develop through the use of electronic media as shallow, impersonal, and often hostile, with only an illusion of a sense of community. The other view posits that electronic-mediated communication reduces the obstacles of physical locality, creates new, but genuine, personal relationships and communities. Only through sound empirical investigations can conclusions be made about the impact and usefulness of technology. (AEF)