Computer-mediated communication (CMC) examines online identities and interactions in developing online communities. CMC began with message boards and email in the 1980s-1990s and grew with the World Wide Web. By 2003, CMC was categorized as interpersonal communication including everything from email to web pages. Social media communication occurs within a cultural context and allows the extension of social networks and relationships online through profiles and interactions. Diffusion of new communication technologies follows an S-curve over time as more people adopt innovations according to Rogers' model of innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Social media provides entertainment and information sharing to meet social and psychological needs.

1. Chapter 2
CMC, Diffusion and
Social Theories
Pauline, Sally, Jenn, Alec

2. Identity
● Computer-mediated communication (CMC)
○ Developed by interpersonal communication
researchers to describe mediated online
communication as it began to develop in the
1980’s-90’s.
○ Examines how identities and interactions
produce online communities.
● We each have an online presence.
○ What we choose to share.
● Began as message bulletin board systems
and email, grew through the development
of the World Wide Web -> 1990’s.

3. Identity (cont.)
● 2003 -> Barnes among those categorizing
CMC as interpersonal communication
○ This approach includes everything between
email and web pages.
● What we consider to be social is a function
of psychological development.
● The social process of human-internet
interaction is found in social media
communication.

4. Internet History
What started it?
In the 1960s, a military project called Advanced Research Projects Agency Network had
a goal to connect the east and west coasts of the U.S. with instantaneous computer
communication.

5. Internet History (cont.)
❏ 1980s and 1990s, non-military users began to use telephone line dial-up chat
rooms, information services, & online games
❏ Early adopters began using web pages developing the concept of user profiles
containing personal information.
❏ First online communities =
❏ LiveJournal, Friendster, MySpace, LinkedIn

6. Internet History (cont.)
➔ The concept of the social network site (SNS) reflected the idea of extending
interpersonal and face-to-face networks into online spaces through personal
profile and the ability to view others’ profiles and interact.
➔ Numerous functions emerged; from tagging to sharing content, to shopping ,
and product reviews.
Basic idea:
- find friends
- communicate
- share information

7. Social Network Site
● Web based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi public
profile within a bounded system.

8. Social Media Functions and Sites

9. Online Culture & Power
❏ Social media communication happens within a
cultural context of values & rituals.
❏ The merging social media culture is full of new
words and developing social relationships.
❏ The capacity social media has to support and
extend in-depth social interactions is truly
unbelievable!
❏ It is an ideal way to help communities and
businesses engage in outreach.

10. Online Culture & Power (cont.)
Stop at 1.45 mins

11. Interaction
● Communication on social media is the desire to connect with others and
broaden social networks.
● In the 1990s there was tension from the governments to regulate online
interaction
● Telecom “Reform” Act (1996), passed in the Senate with making it unlawful,
and punishable by a $250,000 to say
○ 7 curse words
○ Discuss abortion or talk about any bodily function
● There was backlash and people felt that governments should have “no
sovereignty” over “cyberspace” and its users.

12. Interaction
● When it comes to social media communication, individuals present themselves
online, and use constructed identities for impression management in
relationships.
● Computers “break down boundaries” or “break down hierarchies” in
cyberspace: “And yet computers can just as easily create boundaries and
hierarchies”
● Social networking sites, are dedicated specifically to forming and managing
impressions, as well as engaging in relational maintenance and
relationship-seeking behaviors

13. Online Community
● Emerges from the development of individual social identities and realistic
relationships between people.
● Social media communication platforms like Twitter feeds and Facebook walls
create symbolic environments that develops shared meaning and
understanding.
● Public relationships built from sharing on social media can be stronger than
individual relationships.

14. Facebook Wall

15. Twitter Feed

16. Diffusion of New Ideas
● U.S. experienced dramatic growth of Internet and social media communication
technologies over two decades
● In India, China, and other developing countries, have advanced rapidly in recent
years in
○ adoption of computers
○ mobile media
○ social media communication
● Social media communication began with adoption of personal home computers
○ relatively simple to use
○ offered increasing computing power
○ Prices became less expensive over time

17. Diffusion of New Ideas
● Rogers’ (1995) model has been used to track diffusion using a S-shaped curve
over time
● The adoption process involves five major stages: awareness, interest,
evaluation, trial, and then adoption
● Rogers’ model proposed five groups that roughly fit a normal curve distribution
○ Innovators: the earliest people experimenting with the change (2.5%)
○ Early adopters: those swayed by the innovator's to jump on board of what is obviously a new
trend (13.5%)
○ Early majority: the first wave of mass appeal (34%)
○ Late majority: the last wave of mass appeal (34%)
○ Laggards: the remaining people who are either slow to come to the change, or resist it entirely
(16%)

18. Roger’s Adoption Model

19. Uses and Gratification
● Social media offers an unlimited amount of
uses.
○ May or may not meet expectations for new
need gratification.
● Large amount of time spent online = higher
overall satisfaction.
● Social media tests our ability to create
meaningful online communities and
relationships.
● Online communication follows traditional
media use patterns in terms of motivation.
● CMC is typically used for:
○ information about the world around us,
○ relaxation,
○ entertainment,
○ and escape from stress of daily life
● 2011 Edelman US national survey:
majority view social media as
entertainment.
○ 70% = 18-29 year olds

20. Uses and Gratification (cont.)
● CMC explored the influence of media
technology in creating interaction, online
communities, and a sense of identity for
various groups.
● Web usage allows people to share
information over great distances.
○ Family/ friends in other countries/states
● “Social media communication represents an
evolution of individual, social, and cultural
desires to connect with new people.”
(Lipschultz, 2018)

21. CMC and Social Media
● CMC did not offer communication as rich as
face-to-face.
○ Resulted in negative experiences.
■ Related to psychosocial depression,
loneliness, problematic internet use.
○ Allowed people to overcome physical and
psychological limitations.
● CMC allows us to understand memes.
○ Common phrases are used, with variations.
○ Shared all over social media.
○ Constantly recreated and reproduced.

22. CMC and Social Media
● Social media allows us to both stay silent or
more liberated to speak on social issues.
● Spiral of silence theory
○ 1974, German political scientist, Elisabeth
Noelle-Neumann
○ “Fear of isolation when the group or public
realizes that the individual has a divergent
opinion from the status quo.
○ Fear of reprisal or more extreme isolation,
in the sense that voicing said opinion might
lead to a negative consequence beyond that
of mere isolation (loss of a job, status, etc.)”
(Spiral of Silence, 2014)
● The Pew Research Center conducted a study on
#BlackLivesMatter and other conversations on
race. (Jan 2015-Mar 2016)
○ 995 million tweets about race
○ 2.1 million per day
○ 0.04% of 500 million everyday
○ Black users twice as likely as white users to
see racial content.
● Mass communication becomes challenged.
○ Activists able to expose corruption and
criminal behavior.
○ Anarchists able to use social media for
influence and collaboration.
● CMC allows us to better understand online
communication and the foundation of social media.

23. Discussion Questions

24. How has CMC influenced the way we form relationships?
How may it blur the lines between reality and fantasy?
● Making friends not only locally but globally.
● Talking through a screen can be easier and less stressful/anxious for most.
● Easy to lie through a screen and also very easy to create a fantasy to deceive
others. (catfish)
● Able to communicate frequently with anyone.

25. How would a visualization of your social networks depict
communication patterns and relationships? How could this
be used to influence future online behavior?
● After someone follows me on social media that I do not know well or have just
met I tend to look on their social media to see any communication patterns or to
find anything in common to build on the friendship.
● Jobs are looking at your social media pages looking to see if they want you to
represent their company.
● Someones online behavior/personality can be comletely different from their
actual face to face personality.

26. Describe your favorite internet meme. Why do you like it
and how does it transfer cultural understandings from one
person to another?
● This is my favorite meme because it is easy
to relate to when anyone is in any
overwhelming situation.

28. References
Lipschultz, J. H. (2018). Social media communication:
concepts, practices, data, law and ethics (2nd ed.).
Abingdon: Routledge.
Spiral of Silence. (2014, May 21). Retrieved from
https://masscommtheory.com/theory-overviews/spiral-of-si
lence/

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