TopOverview
We have covered a lot of ground up to this point. Now, we have a chance to look back at what we have learned, and to discuss how we will use the knowledge to move through the rest of our communication journey. The first chapter started out talking about the challenge involved with moving from strictly online interactions to face-to-face ones. The challenge, of course, is about using the full range of the communication process from sender to receiver to feedback. The feedback cycle was covered, followed by information about communication barriers and how to overcome them. We focused on an understanding of the characteristics of social networks and interpersonal communication and how they relate to each other. That chapter also covered the importance of a mutual agreement between the parties, the need to read social cues, and the importance of full-range communication from sender to receiver to feedback.
Chapter 2 covered how technological advances caused an explosion of social media and digital communication. This is an analysis of how people use technology to interact with others, which is called computer mediated communication. CMC is not bound by the limitations of geographical distance and time. The technological advances have unbelievably improved the smartphone, which is now a mega-functional, somewhat pocket-sized computer that includes a mobile app for virtually all of the capabilities that we used to get only from our desktop or laptop computer. This chapter shares information from an IT intelligence report that states that half of the world’s population now has a mobile subscription—up from just one in five 10 years ago, and an additional one billion subscribers are predicted by 2020, taking the global penetration rate to approximately 60%. That chapter is focused on getting online communicators to see, understand, and accept the skills and benefits of face-to-face communication, so the rest of the chapter covers the motivation, cultural considerations, and issues of multiethnicity.
Chapter 3 discussed communication theories relevant to social networking to help with communication knowledge and discovery. The theories presented in this book are focused on enhancing participation by addressing the necessary improvements to identify determinants and opportunities that affect levels of acceptance and participation. The emphasis in examining social networking should be on creating value that improves participation. The discussion focused, in part, on presenting value propositions that promote and enhance participation. This was followed by a focus on the communication gap between FTF and online, using emotional intelligence, sensemaking, and communication accommodation theories (CAT). There is an identified need to focus on important interaction considerations, like language, context, identity, and intergroup and interpersonal factors.
Chapter 4 featured a high-touch approach to social capital to identify ways to improve and enhance social networking participation. Readers were introduced to Social Networking and Individual Performance, or SNIP, created to pursue success in digital communication with an emphasis on reinforcing organizational training and improving internal and external communications through social media. The chapter focused on energizing the use of social capital with considerations for building trust and seeking engagement. The action plan for success provided a tool that can build and strengthen social capital for people and organizations.
Chapter 5 covered communication methods and compared barriers to communication between FTF and online interactions. It provided information and illustrations about full-range communication using knowledge from Michael Argyle’s 1972 Communication Cycle, Wilbur Schramm’s 1954 Model of Communication, and the Shannon-Weaver Model of Communication. The Shannon-Weaver model demonstrates communication as an interactive process where participants exchange messages and deal with noise in the channel. The chapter introduces several important references for interpersonal communication discovery and discussion. These references provide a foundation for continued communication discovery. The chapter concludes with a closer examination of barriers to communication.