PersonalRelationships

in a Wired World

Photo: Barbara Gilhooly

By: Maddie Wright

Technology has significantly changed our understanding of personal relationships.

Photo: Franz Schuier

The concept of identity- how we see ourselves and how others see us- alters the relationships of dating and friendship

Photo: Eva Mc Dermott

One’s identity comes into existence only when it is recognized by others. (Erik Erikson)

Photo: Gavin Schaefer

Today, “we use technology to define ourselves by sharing our thoughts and feelings as we’re having them.”

-Sherry Turkle

Photo: Steve Garfield

Technology may drive us away from face to face interactions, as it now seems to serve as the preferred method of communication.

Photo: gato-gato-gato

It is easier to communicate online, people develop an online confidence, one their real-life identity doesn't necessarily share

Photo: Helga Weber

Photo: R Reeves

Texting and email let us present the self we want to be; we can edit and delete and retouch until it's just right (Sherry Turkle)

But what happened to the rich, messy give and take of real-life communicating?

(Sherry Turkle)

Photo: Sarah McGowen

Social Networks contain personal information that facilitate “connection” but not “conversation”

(Sherry Turkle)

Photo: Thomas Coulton

While taking in this personal information may create the illusion of a bond, these leaks of information are in fact just an appearance of friendship.

Photo: Scott Wills

People collect “friends” online-work contacts, old classmates, “content friends” but they are not true friends, rather cyber friends.

(Anthony Wing Kosner)

Photo: Loren Sztajer

Photo: Loren Sztajer

Old-fashioned courtship rules no longer apply in the online dating world

Photo: Ali Elangasinghe

Online dating offers choices but also risks and uncertainties, raising concerns about trust and identity. (Mariann Hardey)

Photo: Whybealone1

People can be whoever they want to be online

by crafting their profiles accordingly.

Photo: ● Christoph Aigner

“One of the differences between our self-image in real life and online is more ability to change our look, and also mask our identity.”

- Christine EricksonPhoto:

Silentmind8

Without the social or verbal clues of face to face communication, e-daters must learn to decode online profiles. (Mariann Hardey)

Photo: Grant Hutchinson

The things we choose to share in online profiles “are inevitably

telling those around us something about who we are as individuals." - Graham of the University of Texas, Austin

Photo: Colin Dunn

Social networks often read like a diary. People can learn certain facts about any given person which they wouldn't otherwise know...

Photo: Jessica Garro

“But the uncertainty can sometimes be the most exciting part and if said person-of-affection manages to pass a thorough stalking... Goodbye butterflies and excitement, I already know everything about you.”

-Allison McCann

Photo: Olivia Markström

This over-share of personal information can have detrimental consequences.

Photo: SimonQ

“Disclosing a high degree of personal information online...

will likely negatively affect your romantic relationship,"

-Juwon Lee of the University of KansasPhoto: Olivier Kaderli

let’s start the conversation.”- Sherry Turkle

Photo: circulating

“So I say, look up, look at one another, and