Work

Configurations of Relationships in Different Media: FtF, Email, Instant Messenger, Mobile Phone, and SMS

Year: 2007

Type: article

Abstract: This study analyzes the configurations of communication relationships in Korea through face-to-face, email, instant messaging, mobile phone, and short message service media. Through a web survey, we asked respondents to identify (1) for each of the five media (2) up to five of their most frequent communication partners, (3) the partner’s social role (including colleagues, family, friends), and (4) their own employment category. Individual-level and network-level analyses were used to compare variations in communication relationships and configurations of relationships among social roles overall, within each medium, and for different employment categories, and to identify configurations of relationships across media. IM, SMS, and mobile phone are distinctive media for students, mobile phone for homeworkers, and email for organizational workers. Moreover, mobile phones tend to be used in reinforcing strong social ties, and text-based CMC media tend to be used in expanding relationships with weak ties. Finally, face-to-face (FtF) seems to be a universal medium without significant differences across respondents’ employment categories.

Source: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

DOI: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00369.x

Authors: Hyo Kim, Gwang Jae Kim, Han Woo Park, Ronald E. Rice

Institutions: Ajou University, Sogang University, Yeungnam University, University of California, Santa Barbara

Language: English

Topic: Digital Communication and Language

Subfield: Linguistics and Language

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Ajou University

OpenAlex ID: W2019170794