Social Interactions Across Media

TLDR

College students’ interpersonal interactions were compared across online, face‑to‑face, and telephone media. The study used a communication diary and a survey to assess the quantity, purpose, context, and quality of online, face‑to‑face, and telephone interactions among college students. College students used the internet as frequently as telephone calls, but face‑to‑face communication remained the dominant mode, with internet interactions rated slightly lower in quality than other media.

Abstract

Two studies compared college students’ interpersonal interaction online, face-to-face, and on the telephone. A communication diary assessed the relative amount of social interactions college students conducted online compared to face-to-face conversation and telephone calls. Results indicated that while the internet was integrated into college students’ social lives, face-to-face communication remained the dominant mode of interaction. Participants reported using the internet as often as the telephone. A survey compared reported use of the internet within local and long distance social circles to the use of other media within those circles, and examined participants’ most recent significant social interactions conducted across media in terms of purposes, contexts, and quality. Internet interaction was perceived as high in quality, but slightly lower than other media. Results were compared to previous conceptualizations of the roles of internet in one’s social life.