Internet communication, communication via the Internet is virtual reality, and face-to-face communication, that is, live, is the real world. What is the difference? What is there in real, live communication that is not in virtual communication?
Do you think there are any guesses? Read on to find out.
Communication over the Internet can be carried out by video chat through Skype, Viber or Facebook applications. And live communication is carried out by visiting real places, appointed or random meetings.
Communication functions
There are different approaches to classifying communication functions. In modern psychology, the approach of the Soviet psychologist Vladimir Panferov is considered one of the most accurate. He identified 6 functions:
- Communicative. Interaction between people at different levels (interpersonal, group, public).
- Cognitive. Communication is the main source of knowledge, gaining experience, and developing cognitive abilities.
- Informative. This function consists of transmitting information of varying degrees of importance.
- Creative. In the process of communication, social connections between people are formed, changed and developed.
- Conative. People have social roles that somehow relate to each other (for example, boss and subordinate). The conative function consists of the interaction of these roles.
- Emotive. This function ensures the exchange of emotions.
The role of communication in human life
A person’s personality is formed in the process of socialization, and the basis of this process is communication. Therefore, it can be said without exaggeration that communication is the most important factor in personality formation. In addition, all spheres of society are built on communication, and every person constantly communicates with other people in his daily life.
Communication allows us to adapt, find a place in society, improve our position and receive various benefits. This means that the quality of our life directly depends on our ability to communicate. Every person has minimal communication skills naturally, but they need to be improved to achieve success. Therefore, communication should be treated not just as a form of interaction with others, but also as an important skill that needs to be developed.
Common Mistakes
Excessive intrusiveness, like isolation, can alienate a partner
During a face-to-face or online conversation, even the most sociable participants in communication often make mistakes. Here are the most common ones:
- Lack of non-verbal contact with the interlocutor (talking without looking into the other person’s eyes);
- A voice that is too quiet, weak or, conversely, very loud and harsh;
- The manner of “bombarding” a person with various questions (even small and innocent ones) and demanding an answer to each of them;
- Manipulation of people;
- Endless stories about yourself, especially about various illnesses and other problems, can quickly scare off even the most patient listener.
Also, a mistake is made by someone who insists on talking if the interlocutor is feeling sad (melancholy, upset) and clearly does not want to continue the conversation. Psychologists say: the more a person imposes his society on others (even relatives) in a given situation, the more rejection he causes.
You should not talk about people who are absent at the moment, even if you want to say something good about them. The list of inappropriate topics for conversation also includes family and love relationships, age issues, work and wages, and relationships with superiors. However, if the interlocutor wants to discuss these particular issues, he should be listened to carefully without giving specific answers.
It is not recommended to use a large number of professional terms or foreign words that are incomprehensible to other participants in communication. Such an interlocutor risks looking in the eyes of others as a person who has a very high opinion of himself and his mental abilities. Jargon and slang are also prohibited; preference should be given to neutral colloquial vocabulary. Of course, under no circumstances should you utter swear words (swear words), especially towards someone. This is a very important rule of conduct. The one who swears is unlikely to be able to get his interlocutor to talk.
Attention! During a conversation, it is recommended to remain at some distance from the interlocutor. Failure to maintain distance may be regarded by a partner as a manifestation of aggression. It's okay to gesticulate moderately, but you shouldn't take another person's hand or slap them on the shoulder.
In order to learn to get along easily with others and feel comfortable in any company, it is necessary, first of all, to part with complexes. The main thing is self-confidence and clear, competent speech. Textbooks help a lot - manuals on the art of communication. It may not be possible to achieve the desired results right away, but it is definitely worth making the effort. Effective communication is the key to success in your career and personal life.
Types of communication
Depending on how the interlocutors perceive each other, several characteristic types of interpersonal communication can be distinguished:
- Primitive. One person perceives another as an object from which a certain benefit can be obtained (consumer attitude).
- Formal role-playing. The relationships between people are determined by their social roles, and communication is built taking this into account (for example, communication between a buyer and a seller or consultant).
- "Contact of masks." Superficial communication, during which people act out their social roles, depicting feigned emotions.
- Business. This is communication aimed at achieving a specific goal, during which the parties focus on business and ignore personal factors.
- Manipulative. A person resorts to various implicit techniques that allow him to achieve a certain reaction from his interlocutor and influence his opinion.
- Secular. This is communication on general and neutral topics. It is usually used by event participants who are unfamiliar with each other to make new connections.
- Spiritual. This is communication between close people, implying an exchange of experiences, emotional rapprochement.
Communication goals
The goals of communication are a set of reasons that force people to initiate the process of information exchange and participate in it. All possible goals of communication can be divided into two groups: functional (solving a specific problem) and objective (related to the search and choice of a partner).
Main functional goals of communication:
- exchange of information beneficial to both parties or one of them;
- getting help;
- helping another person;
- receiving an emotional response (praise, sympathy, solidarity, empathy);
- coordination of interaction (in work, play or other joint activities);
- joining a team or social group by accepting ideas, values, principles, moral standards and other attitudes;
- influence on the views and behavior of the interlocutor;
- self-expression, manifestation of one’s skills and abilities;
- enjoying the process of communication itself.
Objective goals of communication are goals related to finding and choosing a partner. Depending on what kind of partnership we are talking about (permanent or situational, personal or work), different factors are important (age, gender, education, sympathy, proximity to residence). Understanding these factors and understanding whether such a partnership is appropriate is the objective.
What is communication?
Communication is the interaction of people during which information, ideas and emotions are exchanged. It can occur both between individuals and between groups of people. Communication is a complex concept that includes such aspects as:
- exchange of information of all types (knowledge, experience, ideas, recommendations, etc.);
- mutual influence (impact on the state, manipulation, coercion to certain actions);
- interpersonal interaction and relationship formation;
- emotional rapprochement, mutual understanding, sharing of emotions;
- formation and use of certain behavior patterns;
- formation of the inner “I” and understanding of other people.
From the point of view of psychology, communication is the interaction between people, consisting in the exchange of cognitive or emotional-evaluative information. It is a manifestation of interpersonal relationships or leads to their formation and development. Any communication implies the presence of content (information transmitted) and purpose (the reason why the parties interact).
Stages of communication
The entire communication process can be divided into 5 stages:
- Awareness of need. It all starts with the need for a person to convey information to another.
- Analysis of circumstances and initiation of communication. At this stage, the most suitable channel and method of encoding information is selected (phone call, personal meeting, chat).
- Direct communication (message transmission). The sender formulates his thought and transmits it to the recipient in the chosen way.
- Receiving and analyzing feedback. The sender reads the recipient's reaction (response message) and interprets it.
- Correction of communication methods. The sender changes the style of communication and wording, adapting to the interlocutor in order to continue communication in the desired direction.
Features of virtual communication
The Internet has firmly entered people's lives, being not only a source of information, but also a means of communication. Computer communication has a number of features in comparison with real communication. These features include the following:
— expanding the possibilities and boundaries of communication, since interlocutors can be found in all countries of the world;
- both partners in the communication process are in their usual living space, using various methods of transmitting information;
— virtual communication is mainly carried out in written form (chat, e-mail), which makes it possible to improve skills in writing;
— in addition to improving language knowledge, communication participants receive information about the partner’s personality about his views on the world around him,
— virtual communication is carried out in the form of oral messages or emails;
— messaging allows you to improve the ability to understand written text, which is accompanied, if necessary, by explanations from a native speaker of the language being studied. Regular exchange of emails during virtual communication allows you to improve your writing skills and abilities, enriches your vocabulary, expands your sociocultural competence and horizons, and improves your Internet skills.
Individual project “Social networks. Why do people prefer virtual communication to live communication?”
Object: Social networks, group 20-ZIO1-9.
Subject: The impact of social networks on society, the psychology of people and their attitude to communication.
Hypothesis: I believe that virtual communication dominates real communication.
The modern world provides us with a huge variety of information services, the world is getting closer. The main credit for this goes to the Internet. Parents, teachers, psychologists and doctors are sounding the alarm that modern teenagers spend most of their free time on the Internet. It can be assumed that virtual communication not only replaces real communication, but that it displaces it; it is necessary to confirm or refute this hypothesis, since most modern teenagers have stationary or mobile devices to access the Internet.
CHAPTER 1. MODERN COMMUNICATION
1.1 People and social networks
Social networks in the 21st century are an integral part of the lives of billions of people. We communicate there with friends and relatives, find out news, make new acquaintances, share our thoughts and life events. But why do people love social networks so much? Why is virtual communication often preferred to live communication? Psychologists identify various reasons:
Always in touch. Thanks to social networks, you can easily stay in touch almost always. Social networks do not have the same formalities and complications as, for example, email correspondence. You can write to the chat and get a quick response, make a call not only by audio, but also by video, send a photo, etc.
Curiosity. Very often, people register on social networks in order to observe the lives of specific people, be it a celebrity or, for example, young people they like. Gradually, the circle of “observation” expands and now you are already observing the lives of dozens of strangers. Another question is why are people so interested in this? There are many options, from ordinary curiosity and boredom, to loneliness, envy and the desire to assert oneself.
Personal archive. Many social networks allow you to save a huge amount of personal information: photos, music, contacts, correspondence. It is very convenient that everything is available in one place. In fact, social networks often become an archive of our lives and a repository of memories and other information, so the loss of an account can turn into a tragedy.
Work and advertising. In the 21st century, a large number of professions related to social networks have appeared; people manage other people’s accounts, resolve issues in technical aspects, engage in marketing and page promotion, etc. Many firms and companies create pages on social networks as a way to advertise and attract customers; there are even small stores that sell their goods only on social networking platforms. People also make money by blogging or selling, for example, handicrafts.
Sides of communication
Psychologists consider communication a complex system that includes three subsystems (sides of communication):
- The communicative side of communication. This subsystem combines processes aimed at exchanging knowledge, opinions and ideas using both verbal and non-verbal means.
- Perceptual side of communication. This is people’s perception of each other, the formation of an opinion about a person in the process of interaction and communication.
- The interactive side of communication. These are all kinds of interactions that arise during joint activities of people (actions performed together, or actions of one person influencing another).
