Channels, Spring 2018

Channels • 2018 • Volume 2 • Number 2 Page 51 personal, but they can be informational, financial, professional or academic. The specific type of disclosure and its varied impact is outside the confines of this review but would be interesting to consider for future study. While disclosure is necessary for the continuing of relationships, however they may manifest, reciprocity is not crucial for the general maintenance of social media relationships. Instead, recognition and response seem to do the trick, satisfying one partner’s need for affirmation online that reciprocity would fill in person. Out of these pieces of literature and consideration of the original research question, two hypotheses arise for further research: H1: Self-disclosure will increase within computer-mediated communication. H2: Reciprocity is less influential within human-message interaction than in human-human interaction. Future Study In addition to the study of the two hypotheses listed above, there are several questions that spring from this literature review alone. The theoretical basis for this review depended on theories that dealt mainly with the development and maintenance of reciprocal, face-to- face, interpersonal relationships only. But, with the widespread use of social media, the success of relationships no longer depends on reciprocity. This review notes a key assumption that may not be entirely correct: do all relationships have to last in order to accomplish their purpose? Or, are some relationships successful even if their duration is only for a specific time or event? Furthermore, there are several implications and questions uncovered in relation to the disinhibition effect. What are the implications of learning the private lives of others without being invested in their well-being (Kim & Song, 2016)? How does the appropriateness and effectiveness of self-disclosure change when the audience is not accountable to respond to the information? Is self-disclosure affirming when there is no receipt or recognition of response? These questions are worth considering for the future study of interpersonal relationships in the social media sphere. Conclusion The effects of social media on reciprocity and self-disclosure in interpersonal relationships are a worthy but difficult phenomena to study. Perhaps the only thing more unpredictable than an internet platform is the human participants themselves and, yet, studying communication phenomena and their effects is not only necessary, but crucial to advancement in an increasingly digital world. Although the importance of self-disclosure and reciprocity may fluctuate from one relationship to another, the parties that participate