Instructor Resource
Duck, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Lecture Notes
Chapter 10: Technology and Media in Everyday Life
Learning Objectives
1. Explain how people generally perceive technology and media.
4. Explain how online communication influences relationships.
Chapter Outline
I. Introduction
A. Study: People spend twice the time, using media and technology, they think they do.
B. Concurrent media use: Two or more media systems used simultaneously.
II. Perceptions of Technology and Media
A. Perspective influences understanding and method of study.
B. Role of relationships in uses and understandings of technologies.
iv. Fear of isolation and destruction of society by the Internet.
E. Every Technology is Relational
i. Each technology changes how people communicate and interact.
Instructor Resource
Duck, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
ii. Inherently relational in understanding and use: Communication fosters
F. Impact of Technology
i. Technological determinism: Belief that technologies determine social structure,
cultural values, and even how we think.
a. People as powerless against force of technology.
b. Marx: Relationship between material experience and social consciousness.
ii. Social construction of technology: People determine development of technology
and ultimately determine social structure and cultural value.
iii. Social shaping of technology: Both people and technologies exert influence on
social structure and cultural values.
a. Technology characteristics are a major factor.
III. The Relational Uses of Technology and Media
A. Used by people as relators (not by individuals as solitary beings).
B. Relational context most valuable to study everyday usage.
C. The Use of Technology and Media is a Shared Relational Activity
i. Most technologies enable, or are actual basis for, interaction.
ii. Sense of connection created through shared experience with technology.
a. Information about relational roles.
b. Expectations about relationship goals and achievements.
c. Depictions not always realistic: May create unrealistic expectations.
d. Diversity, in race, religion, sexual orientations and socioeconomic categories,
v. Media Representations Inform About How to Behave in Relationships
a. Socialization impact of media: Depictions provide models of behavior.
E. Technology and Media Function as Alternatives to Personal Relationships
i. Provide many of same uses and benefits as personal relationships.
ii. Usually used to enrich already satisfied social, personal lives; not to compensate
for lack of companionship.
iii. Companionship and Relational Satisfaction from the Actual Use of Technology
and Media
a. Satisfaction partly due to use and position within the home.
b. Some may prefer technological companionship to social network.
c. Can provide same amount, if not more, of relational satisfaction as engaging
in a personal relationship.
g. Media equation: People use same social rules and expectations when
interacting with both.
iv. Companionship and Relational Satisfaction from Parasocial Relationships
a. Parasocial relationships: Relational needs met through relationships
F. Technology and Media Are Used in Everyday Talk
i. Technology and Media Provide a General Topic of Conversation
a. Shared topic, unlikely to lead to a heated disagreement.
ii. Talk About Technology and Media Affects Their Value and Understanding
a. Significantly affects meanings derived, emotional responses, attitudes.
b. Discussions influence use of technology and media, such as purchase
iii. Talk About Technology and Media Affects Their Dissemination and Influence
a. Use of technology spreads most through word of mouth among friends.
b. Media content spreads through interactions with others.
c. May lead to personal viewing or co-viewing: Enhancement of relational
iv. Talk About Technology and Media Promotes the Development of Media Literacy
a. Media literacy: Ability to access, interpret, evaluate media products.
b. Discussion of media content affects people’s understanding, evaluation and
comprehension of production and influence.
Instructor Resource
Duck, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking, 3e
v. Talk About Technology and Media Influences Identification and Relationship
Development.
a. Enables people to recognize and promote shared interests, understanding, and
vi. Talk About Technology and Media Enables Identity Construction.
a. Major role in informing people of one’s identity.
b. Allows enacting of identities related to technology use and media preferences,
IV. Cell phones and Relationships
A. Establishing shared understanding, similarity with others.
B. Actual use in personal relationships.
C. Cell phones and Shared Meanings
i. Sense of similarity, association, trust through shared use and understandings of
cell phones.
ii. The Meaning of Cell Phones
a. Establishment of membership in groups by perceiving/using technology in the
same manner.
iii. Technological Products and Service Providers
a. Symbolically connected to certain lifestyles, activities, media personalities.
iv. Performance of Cell Phones
a. Construction of shared meaning.
Instructor Resource
Duck, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
b. Proper use/performance of technology established socially.
c. Behaviors judged according to prevailing expectations.
D. Relating Through Cell phones
i. Changes in how people communicate, form relationships with others.
ii. Altering relational goals and norms.
iii. Constant Connection and Availability
a. Constantly connected/available to social network.
b. Reestablishes existence, importance of relationship.
iv. Boundaries and Closeness
a. Not sharing phone number: Limiting availability of contact; establishes specific
v. Shared Experience
a. Shared technological experience.
b. Shared membership, acceptance into group.
vi. Social Coordination
a. Enables coordination of physical encounters with others.
V. Maintaining Relationships and the Internet
Instructor Resource
Duck, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
A. Enables people to maintain/enhance existing relationships, reinvigorate previous
ones, create new ones.
D. Unfounded fears of decrease in social interaction, diminished quality of relationships.
E. Maintaining Relationships and Social Networks
i. Online communication used more for maintenance of existing relationships
(especially social networking sites).
F. Explaining the Benefits
i. Characteristics of Online Communication
a. Can be both synchronous and asynchronous.
b. Synchronous communication: People interact essentially in real time; can
send/ receive messages at once.
ii. Characteristics of Social Networking Sites
a. List of connections compiled by users: Keeping track of social networks;
connections seem more real and available.
b. Ease of participation: Low effort required, both for regular users and ‘power
SAGE Publishing, 2021
d. Tendency of participation in social networking sites to be quite positive: Vast
majority of teen, adult users believe users are mostly kind.
e. Increases likelihood of continued use; relational satisfaction, comfort.