My best friend and I always chat through internet. We sometimes use MSN, sometimes use QQ. We always talk with headphones and cameras, especially when we meet something good. It seems when we are talking, we both become happier and happier, and we always can find more to talk until it is too late. But when something bad happens, we may choose to type the words. When typing the words, we are quiet and staring at the screen with low spirit. It seems true what O'Sullivin says is ture. When we are in good mood, we more like to talk out. But when in bad mood, we wish others can understand and don't want to say a word. When we want to critisize someone, we may choose not to say it in a face to face way in order not to hurt his/her self-respect. And nearly everyperson is not as happy to praise others as to praise ourselves. I think this is totally psychology thing, and the way we think decides the social computing tools we will use.
I want to take an example in an inverse way. My best friend was my "enemy" before we became good friends. We did't like the ways every one talked and worked. And we always say something bad of each other behind the back. And others in the school knew we two didn't get on well with each other. One day, a little thing lead this conflict to an extrme that we two both said some really bad words and nearly a fight was going to happen. Then the teacher came and took us two to the office. At first, we two didn't stop quarrel, then the teacher said a lot a lot, and we both were shamed and finally cried, Things happened next was we two apologized to each other, although a little embarrassed. The next was we became best friends after that, sueprising everyone. We are still best friends now, and sometimes when we talk this little history, we feel we are childish but we cherish this little history. O'Sullivin says when the "self, negative" happenes, we are mostly like to choose intermedia communication. It illustrate that it is very hard for we to choose the "rich channels" to communicate. We confessed to each other, which was a relly difficult thing for us to do, the result is we becoming best friends. We showed truly self to each other and what we gained was trust. I think this true story proves the O'Sullivins points in an inverse way.
2 comments:
I think your example is so interesting! The idea of choosing the extent to which you can mediate your conversation with technology is an interesting concept: if you have something more negative to say, turn on the text. This example really encompasses what O'Sullivan's Model is all about. How would you define valance and locus for each situation (using the headphones and video vs. typing the words).
Also, a big part of this model is impression formation, which you mentioned only slightly. In what ways do you think choosing one or the other affects how you present yourself?
You lost me a little in your second example on how it demonstrates O'Sullivan's in an inverse way. It seems to me that you chose face to face communication, but the valance was negative? As my understanding goes, the more negative valance that exists, more mediated channels are used to communicate and your example wouldn't necessarily fit the model. I might be missing your idea of how it supports the model in an inverse way.
Good job!
This was a really good post. I think there is no easier to understand way of explaining O'Sullivan's Model than your example. Even when two people are best friends, saying some criticism or expressing something negative to each other is hard. Choosing text over voice, video or FTF is the right thing to do in that situation. This actually helped clear something up for me about the model as well.
I'm glad that you two fought out your differences and became best friends. I had something of a reverse happen. My best friend in the first two years of HS became my enemy the last two years so things were really awkward. We used to hang out with the same group of people but once this switch happened that wasn't possible anymore. Needless to say, I don't chat with him FTF or voice/text =)
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