Theme 2:
Explain Meyrowitz's theory as it applies to relationships enabled by electronic media, and trace the evolution of such mediated relationships from Mary Dyck to twitter, including discussion of para-social interaction, ambient awareness, 'hook-ups" through IMing, and other examples you see as relevant.
The definition of a para-social relationship is a one-sided interpersonal relationship in which one person knows a lot about the other but the other person knows nothing about the first person. These types of relationships often occur between celebrities and their fans but can happen during a variety of other situations. People that participate in para-social interaction are participating in delusional relationships that usually result in having no actual contact. These types of relationships have been made even easier with the invention and improvement of technology and media. New technology breaks down the barriers that have formerly kept us secluded. As Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and a myriad of other social networking websites have become prevalent in our society, so has the para social relationship. Celebrities and people across the world have become easily accessible with just a simple click of a button. Moreover, this has changed the true definition of relationships. People mistake chatting online as being friends and getting to know someone. While they barely know each other and do not come in contact, people mistake conversation for friendships. Technology has made it even easier for us to feel this way because of the constant stream of updates and new information exploding from our technology. Meyrowitz calls this “ambient awareness”, which means that we are surrounded by pieces of intimacy despite not actually knowing these people. There is a serious possibility to blur the lines of reality for people who participate in this. Instead of realizing that they do not know each other, they continue in the fantasy of being connected to these other people. Thus creating “weak ties”, which are contact and communication with people who we really are not close to and people who would not count as a real friend. Technology has changed these relationships to be manipulated for networking and outsourcing. A earlier form of these para-social relationships is seen in the article that we read about the 1930’s Kansas farm wife and frequent radio listener. Her life made her susceptible to participating in para-social relationships with the characters in the programs she listened to on the radio. She developed an extremely strong relationship and connection to the programs, the radio, and the characters. Mary Dyck saw the radio as an escape from her humdrum everyday life. She was isolated from people around her because of the time period so the radio was effectively her only outlet. Because Mary Dyck was so isolated, she was desperate for human interaction, entertainment, and an escape from her difficult reality. She came to believe that the characters that she listened to were friends of hers because she was so devout in her listening to the radio. In her journal, the reader can see that Mary Dyck even planned her day around the scheduled programming on the radio that she wished to listen to. This is just as true now as it was back then. There are countless examples of para-social relationships that occur during this time period. On Twitter, celebrities and their fans can have an interpersonal connection in which they can feel close to the celebrity. I have even participated in this, sending a tweet to one of my favorite Yankees players after a job well done in a game. Although I did not receive a response back, many people throughout the day do. The same is true on Facebook and YouTube. Many celebrities make video blogs of themselves on tour so that the fans can see what is going on behind the scene and gain even more access to their favorites stars.
Explain Meyrowitz's theory as it applies to relationships enabled by electronic media, and trace the evolution of such mediated relationships from Mary Dyck to twitter, including discussion of para-social interaction, ambient awareness, 'hook-ups" through IMing, and other examples you see as relevant.
The definition of a para-social relationship is a one-sided interpersonal relationship in which one person knows a lot about the other but the other person knows nothing about the first person. These types of relationships often occur between celebrities and their fans but can happen during a variety of other situations. People that participate in para-social interaction are participating in delusional relationships that usually result in having no actual contact. These types of relationships have been made even easier with the invention and improvement of technology and media. New technology breaks down the barriers that have formerly kept us secluded. As Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and a myriad of other social networking websites have become prevalent in our society, so has the para social relationship. Celebrities and people across the world have become easily accessible with just a simple click of a button. Moreover, this has changed the true definition of relationships. People mistake chatting online as being friends and getting to know someone. While they barely know each other and do not come in contact, people mistake conversation for friendships. Technology has made it even easier for us to feel this way because of the constant stream of updates and new information exploding from our technology. Meyrowitz calls this “ambient awareness”, which means that we are surrounded by pieces of intimacy despite not actually knowing these people. There is a serious possibility to blur the lines of reality for people who participate in this. Instead of realizing that they do not know each other, they continue in the fantasy of being connected to these other people. Thus creating “weak ties”, which are contact and communication with people who we really are not close to and people who would not count as a real friend. Technology has changed these relationships to be manipulated for networking and outsourcing. A earlier form of these para-social relationships is seen in the article that we read about the 1930’s Kansas farm wife and frequent radio listener. Her life made her susceptible to participating in para-social relationships with the characters in the programs she listened to on the radio. She developed an extremely strong relationship and connection to the programs, the radio, and the characters. Mary Dyck saw the radio as an escape from her humdrum everyday life. She was isolated from people around her because of the time period so the radio was effectively her only outlet. Because Mary Dyck was so isolated, she was desperate for human interaction, entertainment, and an escape from her difficult reality. She came to believe that the characters that she listened to were friends of hers because she was so devout in her listening to the radio. In her journal, the reader can see that Mary Dyck even planned her day around the scheduled programming on the radio that she wished to listen to. This is just as true now as it was back then. There are countless examples of para-social relationships that occur during this time period. On Twitter, celebrities and their fans can have an interpersonal connection in which they can feel close to the celebrity. I have even participated in this, sending a tweet to one of my favorite Yankees players after a job well done in a game. Although I did not receive a response back, many people throughout the day do. The same is true on Facebook and YouTube. Many celebrities make video blogs of themselves on tour so that the fans can see what is going on behind the scene and gain even more access to their favorites stars.
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