Hyperpersonality

We interact with people online everyday but we have the choice to pick whom to communicate with and through what means to do it by. In class we had a discussion on chat rooms. A chat room is described as an area online where users  can communicate with other on a particular topic. Usually they will have something in common.

In class we discussed how users are more comfortable with sharing  information online to strangers than in face to face communication. Hyperpersonal communication, which is Computer Mediated Communication that is more socially desirable than we tend to experience in  face to face communication interaction, explains why this is true. There are four factors that go into; they include the sender, receiver, channel,and  feedback loop. The sender, which is the person creating the account, or user profile,  can manipulate how the receiver (those that view the profile) sees them. They select the photos, create the introductions, and say what they want to make others believe they are a certain way. This is demonstrated in chat rooms, where users create a name to identify as or to remain anonymous in some cases.  Also, on Tumblr, where profile information is entirely user generated.

The receiver sees the information presented and judges the user based on what they have looked and read. An impression is then formed. Whenever I see someone on Facebook post a status about the details of a personal relationship, I question why they would want to share with the 500+ people they are friends with. There are too many people receiving the information and probably judging you because of it. Sometimes the information can create an unrealistic especially if you lie or are vague about yourself.

The amount of information you share depends on the channel you choose to use. There are millions of websites that allow you to communicate with others but they are all different. For example, on Chatroulette, users interact through either text or by video chatting. They have the option to upload a photo and share their name, location. age, gender, and a small paragraph about themselves. Other than that, what you see is usually not hard to figure out because you are live, on camera. But on a website such as Twitter, it is a little blurry as to who you're really connecting with. Users have the choice of uploading a photo, adding their name, and a small biography but those are the only forms of verification. (Unless you are a celebrity, or a well known person.) Unless you know the person in real life, it is hard to figure out if they are who they say they are. I'm not saying that Chatroulette or Twitter are more or less credible than each other. It is just easier to spot a liar on webcam.

After the receiver has read and interpreted the information created by the sender, they will primarily focus on how there are similar qualities, rather than differences. Everyone wants to connect with someone so it wouldn't make sense to point out how you're different. The connection will strengthen and become more even more intense because more topics are being discussed. The communicators will go along with their perceptions of one another until proven otherwise. How they perceive one another will correspond to how they treat each other.