Channels, Spring 2018

Page 50 Costello • “Hello? Are You Still There?” To examine this idea further, many studies have shown that audiences use social media relationships to gather situational context, gain social activity, or process gratifications. Clearly, reciprocity is not involved in any of those goals (Quinn, 2016, Rubin, 2009). So, while reciprocity may suffer in an online context, it is certainly not as necessary as originally thought for the success of interpersonal relationships. Part Four: How Does This Impact Developing Relationships? Limitations There are several limitations to consider within the study of interpersonal relationships that are developed and maintained through the use of social media platforms. The first is a phenomenon called the disinhibition effect. This refers to the combination of anonymity, invisibility, and controllability of an online environment (Green et al., 2015). These elements create an illusion of safety within the asynchronous nature of online communication, allowing the user to benefit from the free self-disclosure environment (Lapidot-Lefler & Barak, 2015). Although this disinhibition is ‘benign’ and positive in this arena, participants of social media platforms must be wary of toxic disinhibition, where these elements have the opposite effect. They enable users to take advantage of the lack of cues and responsibility to explore negative behaviors like bullying (Green et al., 2015, Suler, 2005). The difficult aspect of the disinhibition effect lies in the intent of the user. The only variable that changes between benign and toxic disinhibition is the human participants themselves. So, while the online forum may influence the messages that are sent, they still originate from human interpersonal partners. Similarly, participants in social media relationships must constantly remember that they cannot always know the other person’s intention for developing a relationship on social media. While this is true in face-to-face settings as well, it is incredibly more dangerous in the sphere of internet communication as the truth is easier to veil and the user is easier to deceive. Furthermore, prolonged use of social media can increase feelings of loneliness and cause the user to lose touch with the reality of their situation (Matook & Bala, 2015). These aspects limit the study and true understanding of the success of relationships within an online sphere. Implications What does this mean What does this mean for the future of social media relationships and interpersonal interactions? This study brings to light several implications worth studying. First and foremost, studies show that individuals pursue relationships for all sorts of reasons, whether or not they take place on a social media platform. Considering social media specifically, interactions over an asynchronous and potentially anonymous context can create different relational outcomes. However, the outcome still depends on disclosures of some sort from at least one party. These disclosures do not have to be