Relationship Development in Computer-mediated Communication as Perceived by Filipino Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Participants

Abstract

Over the years, communication has been gradually bound by technological advances. From electronic impulses that run telephones up to satellite signals making television reception possible, information has become more accessible to the public. Such advancements have propelled domestic and global factors like economic status, political patterns, and social orientation. With the advent of the Internet, civilization is at everyone’s finger tips. This time, the setting is on a virtual plane. We are now exposed to computer-mediated communication. Computer-mediated communication mimics traditional communication through binary digits performing task-related functions. The Internet, for instance, was introduced as a tool for commence and economics but later had more humanistic function- that of interpersonal relations. Such logical trend is true of the Internet Relay Chat (IRC). IRC is a text and computer based communication medium where participants interact in real-time (immediate sending and receiving messages as opposed to electronic mail). Some researchers about computer-mediated communication reveal that such a channel is impersonal for it lacks some of the features present in face-to-face communication like physical proximity and instantaneous sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages. On the other hand, there are studies made that disprove the notion that computer-mediated communication as impersonal. The communication channel was described as rich grounds for interpersonal relationships for it improved intrapersonal aspects like self-confidence, managing intimidation, etc. From this, there is controversy whether or not computer-mediated communication is impersonal in nature. The study’s objective is to determine whether or not computer-mediated communication can lead to intimate relationships. The researcher’s main problem is, “Can computer-mediated communication lead to intimate relationships as perceive by Filipino Internet Relay Chat participants?”. The sub-problems are: “Is relationship building possible in the virtual setting as perceived by Filipino Internet Relay Chat participants?” and, “What are the advantages and disadvantages of computer-mediated communication as perceived by these participants?” This study merits an exploratory-descriptive approach. Such an approach is effective in relation to answering the problems in the study since it identified factors concerning relationship development in computer-mediated communication. Due to the relative scarcity of Internet Relay Chat participants in the Philippines and the nature of the virtual environment, it was appropriate to adopt the convenience sampling method. Data were gathered through interview schedule to facilitate the questions concerning the respondents’ profile and their experiences in the IRC. It was found that computer-mediated communication is possible since almost all the respondents reached the relationship development stage describing an intimate relationship (intimacy stage). The perceived advantages of computer-mediated communication are in terms of participants having more self-confidence, being able think longer and making better sentences, being more expensive, controlling the conversation, finding the flow of messages convenient, and being polite through “emotions” and “pop-up” scripts. The perceived disadvantages, on the other hand, are in terms of participants being anonymous, being able to lie, misinterpreting messages, making spelling and grammatical errors, and difficulty in knowing the degrees of sincerity of a person.