Direct and Mediated Interactions in the Maintenance of Social Relationships

This paper is an analysis of how mediated interaction has changed the ways in which we establish and develop interpersonal relationships. The paper examines the dimensions of friendship and also the attempts to separate out the role of interaction via various media such as mobile telephony, MUDs, MOOs, and IRC. The paper finds that interaction via the Internet may aid the establishment of relationships. The relationships are, however, slower to develop and necessarily migrate over to other forms of communication including face to face interaction. After the establishment of a relationship there is a preference for more simultaneous, direct interaction with which one can coordinate every day activities.