Social Cues-Brief Background

Before embarking on the Guided reading task I wanted to share some initial thoughts after reading the brief background.
• “All communications media attenuate to at least some degree the social context cues available in face-to-face conversation. The telephone reduces dynamic and static cues by eliminating visual information about the communicators.”
My initial thoughts here were ‘thank goodness’ I have made many a formal or important phone call while sitting in my PJ’s with no make-up on and un-brushed hair. Calls or even emails sent at these times, are as professional as if I was suited up for the face to face occasion, however on a face to face basis I would certainly be taken far less seriously in my PJ’s.
• “the use of emoticons can improve collaborative working”
I’m not sure about other people, but I find myself incorporating smiley faces, winks, sad faces and confused faces in many an email these days, often to draw attention to the fact I’m using humour that I wouldn’t want to be misinterpreted as serious and also to highlight particular emotions. I would certainly think about comments far more if I couldn’t add the emoticons to my writing.
• “even when virtual groups have only just met, they could often be more social than a comparable face-to-face situation.”
I find myself that when I meet new people nerves can overtake me and I become reluctant to participate in case people openly mock me. In a virtual environment I feel safer in the knowledge that people can’t see me. I also find that the virtual environment allows more time to respond to things allowing me to think about an answer rather than blurting out something that just seems obscure. I think this view ties in with:
• “the group seems more homogenous”
And also with the view that:
• “the reduced cues of internet communication allow people to be intimate without the loss of “privacy.”
These were my first thoughts, before any of the further reading and are probably subject to change.
Sarah