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When begin to look for a prominent social issue to research, I was immediately drawn to online relationships and their satisfaction. In today's world, there are much more people online and using social media than there are not. As someone who is young and single, there are plenty of dating apps and sites that one can join. Finding someone online is very much a prominent way of finding a significant other. So, with that being said, I wanted to see if, through theories and studies, it is possible for a relationship to have just as much satisfaction via computer mediated communication (CMC) as it would if it was an person relationship. With this social issue, I am wanting to dig deeper into relationships that are started through online dating sites or social media sites and whether theories and research can support or decline the satisfaction of an online relationship.

While looking further into the effects of the internet and social media on relationships, I want to utilize three different theories. I want to look at the thoughts behind Social Penetration Theory, Communication Privacy Management Theory, and Social Judgement Theory. When looking for theories that really look into relationships and these three immediately popped out at me. I will be using these three theories to look closer into how relationships created & sustained through, mostly, computer/online communication really work out. I am going to dig into the effects of social media on relationships as well as meeting someone via dating websites and so on. Overall, I want to look into the impacts that the internet and social media have on the level of satisfaction in a relationship.

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In Communication Privacy Management Theory, there is a strong focus on Computer-mediated communication (CMC). CMC is the basic act of sending messages through a computer like through direct/private messages, chat rooms, etc. CMC looks into the loss of social cues, the loss of face-to-face interaction, lack of nonverbal cues, and all the aspects of conversation that are missing since it is no longer an in person conversation. As time goes on, social media, online dating, and overall online interaction increases. It is pretty clear to see the change in computer interaction in the 80s to now. Because of all that is available today, the frequency, ubiquity, and impact of CMC has increased even greater! For example, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have provided open access of CMC, especially because it relates the content and information to individuals we genuinely know (Liang, Walther, n.d.).
Researchers Jennifer Gibbs, Chih-Hui Lai, and Nicole Ellison conducted a study to investigate the relationship between the behaviors of privacy management and self disclosure between users of online dating sites. After conducting their survey, their findings support their claims that there are three sets of online dating concerns: misrepresentation, recognition, and personal security-- but they also mentioned self efficacy (Gibbs, 2009).
In my personal opinion, Gibbs, Lai, and Ellison were right on track. I believe, just as they have found, that there is a correlation between privacy management and self disclosure. Not only that, but as I mention in other areas and based through other theories, the amount of self disclosure tends to either be there between both individuals, or it isn't really there at all. Sadly, with online communication, it can be hard to self disclose because, as researchers mentioned, there are risks to online dating. Someone could be interpreting and portraying to be someone else, someone could be after your personal information, and so much more (Gibbs, 2009).
Looking more into CMC, researchers conducted a study on how self-disclosure can lead to liking even in online communication. Previous research has shown that CMC does in fact have an influence on the self-disclosure and the affection or attraction one feels as a result of the amount of self-disclosure. Overall, they found that that once an individual self disclosed, the receiver tending to be prompted to self disclose and increase liking. In other words, people like people who self disclose. Therefore, CMC has a unique impact on the relationship of self disclosure and liking through this study.
Another set of researchers decided to test increased amounts of self-disclosure through CMC versus face-to-face. They decided to take the approach that when an individual self-discloses via CMC it is a more intimate act than when done in person. With that being said, they noticed as many others have that a self-disclosure tends to attract and yield the same from the receiver.
This theory applies to my overall social issue because it addresses the use of computer based communications and the development of relationships. It looks into the pros and cons of CMC vs. face-to-face communication as well as addressing the timeline of a relationship started and built via CMC. When looking at self-disclosure, intimacy, and all the factors that make face-to-face relationships succeed, it is important to remember that all those factors have to be somehow present through CMC for an online relationship to have the same satisfaction that an in person one does.
Looking at the two memes below, I found both of them on the extreme side of online dating. With the first, it suggests that the second an individual is chatting with someone online, it's a immediately serious. But on the other hand, you could take the more sarcastic route and mention how some people will bash on those individuals that start relationships via tinder. With the second meme, it basically makes it seem like you don't need an in person, face-to-face relationship when you can have one online. There are no commitments to dates, in person interactions, and people can easily alter who they are behind the computer screen.

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Social Information Processing Theory, or SIP, by Joseph Walther generally makes the assumption that an individual aims to develop relationships and impressions of others. So, it states, that when the communication channels are more limited, for example during computer mediated communication (CMC), then individuals will look for the cues available in order to share the desired meaning of the text and overall conversation. Overall, the theory covers the fact that that online communication is interpersonal and lacks nonverbal cues and face-to-face interaction, but explains how people develop and manage relationships in a computer-mediated space (Liang, n.d.).
While looking for studies and research on SIP, I came across a study researchers James Farrer and Jeff Gavin conducted. Looking into online dating sites in Japan and the experiences of both past and present users, they wanted to further explore the "western" ideaologies of CMC and how relationships develop and how that is relevant to Japanese online dating experiences. Furthermore, they wanted to dig into how and to what level the users overcome the limitations of strictly computer based conversations and the limitations that come with no face-to-face interaction. They conducted their survey between current users and past users of those on or previously on Match.com in Japan. At the end of their study, they found support for social information processing theory, that of which is a western world theory. Researchers found that the Japanese online dating users will change and adapt their efforts to receive and give social information while using the cues they can, providing by online communication. They did mention, that most of these "cues" they are giving are contextually, Japanese (Farrer Gavin, 2009).
When specifically looking at Japanese culture, CMC, and SIP, researchers found that although Japanese culture supports the facts that they'd rather have face-to-face interaction, they have basically developed social cues to almost substitute that via online chatting (Farrer Gavin, 2009). Supporting the theory, and looking into my social issue, it does make it seem possible that relationships online and strictly via CMC could actually be a successful and satisfying way to begin and continue a relationship as long as there are cues developed to, in a way, substitute for the lack of nonverbal cues, reactions, etc. Nowadays, I believe it could be even more possible with emojis, gifs, memes, and all the things that allow us to express how we are feeling at that moment, besides just sending a message that could be misconstrued.
Adding more to the lack of nonverbal cues and how to substitute that, researchers Marjolijn L. Antheunis, Alexander P. Schouten, Patti M. Valkenburg, and Jochen Peter, investigated the language strategies of users of CMC use in order to reduce uncertainity with the lack of nonverbal cues. They looked closely at self-disclosure, intimacy disclosure, how they disclose through questions, and question asking. After completing their study, they found that question asking and question intimacy were slightly higher via CMC compared to face-to-face conversation. For me, this makes sense as via CMC individuals are asking more questions to get to know someone, see about their day, their life, their likes/dislikes, and so much more. Overall, their findings support social information processing theory and the fact that relationships held via CMC can be successful IF they are using and employing different language based strategies to substitute for the lack of nonverbal cues (Antheunis, 2012).
As I have realized while doing my research and reading that of others, social information processing theory supports the social issue of relationship satisfaction via CMC but it does also need substitutes. Basically, SIP and the research done on this theory states that relationships started and continued online can be successful if there is a substitute for nonverbal cues and still high enough levels of intimacy and disclosure. Whether the relationship is platonic or physical, I believe that this theory and idea applies. For example, even on Facebook when I am updated friends and family, I don't fully disclose crazy, personal information via the internet and social media but, like others, I gladly update them. In the meme below, I found it funny, because almost everyone I know, knows someone who overshares on Facebook. To those reading and following, it can tend to be comical. So take this meme as a kind reminder to never overshare and expose the core of the onion BEFORE peeling back the layers first. But even then, deep personal information is for your diary and close friends and family, not Facebook.
In the second meme, it depicts that women online are looking to break intimacy barriers at first conversation. In my eyes, there needs to be a bit of small talk and chit chat, before we get to the deep conversations. So this meme makes me giggle and think of women or men that I know that are like this; which is similar to the "let's get coffee" meme included later. The ones that surpass basic first impressions, casual conversations, and the first layers of the onion and move right into deep conversations, large amounts of self-disclosure, and the inner core of their onion.

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According to Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor, social penetration theory is the obvious behaviors between more than one person that take place in social interaction. When they relate to social interactions, they refer to any verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as other forms of communication. My favorite part about this theory, is Altman and Taylor presented one of the hypotheses of their theory with the onion analogy. They claim, that as relationships progress further and further, they begin to reach more intimate and vulnerable places. To further understand this, they explain it is like an onion with many layers. When peeling an onion, or getting to know someone, we all start with the outermost layer, working our way into the inner core. The closer you get to someone, the closer to “the core” you are. Meaning that you dig deeper into their deeper self as you get to know someone (Cseh, 2011).
As I was trying to find sources on social penetration in online relationships, I came across a study about bloggers and their behaviors online. In the study, researchers focuses on bloggers and exactly what they write about, how deep or surface level the topic is, and their interaction with their readers. Researchers found that bloggers who participated in their survey tended to write about attitude, body, money, work, feelings, personal interests, personal experiences, and then lastly an "unclassified" section of writing. They looked at the different ages of bloggers compared to what and how they disclose, as well as the depth of what they disclosed. When researchers looked at three different depth groups of online audience, best friend, and parents, they found easily that the disclosure amount among individuals between each group is significantly different. As I suspected, researchers found that one discloses the most to their best friend, and then followed by their parents and online. Although, I was surprised by online being the third level of depth in disclosure. As someone who is young and very active on social media, I have personally witnessed and partook in the posting of information I wouldn't dare tell my parents. Relating to my initial thoughts, Tang did mention that those bloggers who were under twenty years of age, did tend to disclose a larger range of topics, but didn't necessarily see a change in the depth of disclosure (Tang, 2012).
Lastly, I wanted a source that would provide me with self-disclosure via the online world. Researcher Sonja Utz looked into the question of "How can social network sites foster relationships when most status updates on social networking sites are mainly entertaining and not very intimate?". When conducting her research and reading that of others, she found many links between relationships and self-disclosure. For example, as individuals, we like others more when they disclose more information, and one in the same, we disclose more to those that we like more. She also found that much of the motivation to use social networking sites was to maintain social relationships. Looking further into her study, there are many different factors that go into the disclosure and non-disclosure of those on social media sites. For example, if one tends to be a more private person, they're clearly not going to post much personal information on their social sites (Utz, 2015).
Overall, when looking into disclosure very online and SNS, there are many different contexts to consider. Is the individual male or female, younger or older, private or public, etc. But truthfully, there is still much of a difference between the level of self-disclosure online, versus to those that we know best and disclose to in person. I believe this only adds to my social issue that relationship satisfaction via online and on social sites cannot compare to that of a face-to-face, physical relationship.
In the meme below, although it literally states that it violates the social penetration theory, I still found it quite comical. The caption goes from one extreme of super casual, base level communication and a proposal of getting to know someone over coffee to the other extreme of loving someone. Sometimes in movies we see this when one of the two in the relationship gets way too deep, way too fast. I actually have witnessed this before in my own life, watching friends accidentally pushing people away by revealing inner core information when the relationship is still on the outer layers of the onion. Although this meme does depict face-to-face meetings, I do still find it applicable to my social issue. When it comes to online dating, I believe there are many speech codes, social norms, etc. Basically with any other relationship, no one expects to be chatting briefly and all of sudden the other person is in love.

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In the video clip below, from the movie "Friends With Benefits", it slowly depicts and captions each act of intimacy where they “peel off another layer of the onion”. Although these interactions are in person, I felt that I could relate it to online communication. For example, when one is chatting with someone online, from personal experience and witnessing the individuals tend to make casual conversations about their day, their work, their hobbies, etc. and while they are chatting about normal daily things, they tend to reveal small bits about themselves as well, just as the characters do in this clip. I believe that the onion metaphor by Irwin and Taylor perfectly depicts the levels of intimacy and the gradually progression of self-disclosure whether that is in person or through online communication.

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Social Penetration Theory - Friends With Benefits

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Caroline Clarke, Madi Claus, Sarah Van Nort, Michael Chase, Taylor Aycock; COMM 305-500 - Theories - Aschenbeck

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After reading through many people's research on CMC, self disclosure, the lack of nonverbal cues, and so much more. I believe that it is possible for individuals to have satisfying relationship built through online communication. But as I have read, there tends to be some substitution for the lack of nonverbal cues. Luckily nowadays, we can try to convey our emotions through text based communication with things like emojis, gifs, memes, etc. I do also believe that a relationship can not just always be through online communication, in my opinion the individuals will have to progress to an in person relationship; but that's aside from my point. Overall, it is possible for someone to be satisfied by their relationship through online communication and there tends to be ways to get around what they're lacking online that they wouldn't be in person.

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http://worldwideinterweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/dating-site-meme.jpg
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiKn4G_mcvhAhVQ0KwKHZkmCUQQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffavoritethings.danoah.com%2F33-memes-and-things-for-anyone-who-has-experienced-an-overshare%2F&psig=AOvVaw3aPkj6dzQ0j4Gzuo_uLc5L&ust=1555180615372142
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Tang, J.-H., & Wang, C.-C. (2012). Self-Disclosure Among Bloggers: Re-Examination of Social Penetration Theory. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 15(5), 245–250. https://doi-org.onu.ohionet.org/10.1089/cyber.2011.0403
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0o3y1JFkR8