Unit 5 Summary

Unit 5 of CMC talks about a variety of things ranging from identifying groups to reduced social cues, and also something called the SIDE model. This unit explains how groups are identified within CMC, and also what the ups and downs are of these groups. It goes on to explain what the SIDE model is and how it works. All in all, I think this unit in the book is a crucial part understanding how people interact in CMC.

What is a group? The book defines a group as collective individuals who interact and form social relationships. We have these groups everywhere in our daily life, whether it be at school, where we live, or even online. With these groups that we have, we interact with them on a daily basis, and our actions reflect upon what the group as a whole does. The book list two ways of defining a group, the first called phenomenological (subjective), and the second called observational (objective). Both ways are very helpful in defining our groups.

Social cues communicate a sense of status, power, and leadership. These cues are either static, meaning what we wear, or what our hair style is, or they are dynamic, meaning what gestures or facial expressions we use. The concern that CMC has is that in our communication online, we lose this type of interaction. The reduction of these cues makes communication between people more difficult to manage, making conversation more difficult. By not having these cues online, it puts less pressure on people to behave properly and can make things much easier to say, which in some cases, is not always a good thing. The book goes on to say that we cannot place the blame on computers for aggressive behavior because it is still your own responsibility what you say to someone, online or not.

There are many different types of group dynamics in CMC today. All of which have their ups and downs. The book breaks down a select few of these different dynamics, some good, some bad, and I will explain them more in depth in my presentation tomorrow. They also have a few dynamics listed than are neither and up side or a down side. Together, these types of dynamics are tools that explain the nature of CMC.

The Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects or SIDE Model explains CMC in terms of the combined effects of social identity and anonymity. It is based on the idea that a person's identity is comprised with their personal identity, and their social identity. According to the SIDE Model, group interactions can be strong in CMC, so the negative effects of group dynamics do not often happen in the way that the Reduced Social Cues Model would have us to believe.

In conclusion, this unit in the book has  explained to us what groups are and how to define them. It also tells us about our social cues, and what we lose from them when we communicate online. It then goes on to tell us some of the ups and downs of group dynamics, and then connects all of these things together through the SIDE Model. Our generation has  experienced most of this from the beginning, so it is important for us to fully understand what happens with our everyday communication, whether it be in person, or through CMC.