55
Chapter 3
Mediated Communication
CHAPTER OUTCOMES
• Understand the characteristics and functions of mediated communication
• Identify factors that affect how we present our identity through mediated communication
• Explain the challenges of using mediated communication
• Explain the guidelines for competently using mediated communication
CHAPTER OUTLINE
WHAT IS MEDIATED COMMUNICATION?
Technology is often so prevalent in our lives that it is easy to not even think about it. Phone,
laptop, app, what does it matter? While technology helps with everything from family chats to
• Mediated communication is the process of communicating with others that is separated, or
“mediated,” by some type of technological device. Examples include using technology to
talk, text, post, tweet, e-mail, and chat.
TYPES OF MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
• Mass media refers to one-way mediated communication vehicles that involve the sending
of messages from content creators to huge, relatively anonymous public audiences.
56
Examples include online news and entertainment sites, video games, television channels,
movies, radio stations, newspapers, and magazines.
• Social media is the use of two-way mediated communication that enables communicators to
directly send and receive messages in real time or across time intervals to manage our
FUNCTIONS OF MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
• Like other forms of communication, mediated communication help you to meet the
following three goals:
1. Instrumental goals are the practical objectives you want to achieve or tasks you want to
accomplish. Examples include using social media to find information, coordinate
schedules, and confirm reservations.
1. Participating in professional and public communities means that you can engage with
people outside of your intimate networks of family and friends. Examples include the use
of e-mail to express your opinions or to deliver a virtual presentation at work.
2 It allows you to alleviate boredom during less stimulating moments.
57
CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
• Mediated communication can be either synchronous or asynchronous.
○ Synchronous communication is a back–and-forth exchange of messages that occurs in
real time.
▪ Examples include face-to-face encounters, phone conversations, instant messaging,
and videoconferences.
▪ Synchronous communication is best used when you’re communicating difficult or
complicated messages.
▪ Synchronous communication requires that all communicators be available at the same
time.
○ Asynchronous communication has time lapses between messages.
▪ Examples include e-mailing, sending a text message, or posting to social media sites.
▪ This type of communication is appropriate for nonurgent, quick, and simple messages.
• Mediated communication restricts nonverbal feedback.
○ Most forms of mediated communication provide little or no nonverbal feedback.
○ A cues-filtered-out model suggests that many of the cues vital for making sense of
messages are “filtered out” with the use of mediated communication and made unavailable.
○ Mediated communication is often more difficult to understand than face-to-face
communication. One study found that almost 54 percent of subjects agreed that it’s
poor substitute for the nonverbal feedback that is available when you communicate face-
to-face.
○ Social information processing theory suggests that people who communicate through
social media compensate for the lack of nonverbal feedback by taking more care when
choosing their words. The resulting mediated communication, although “cue-filtered,”
can be just as personal as face-to-face interactions.
• Mediated communication, like other forms of communication, has no “take-backs” or “do-
overs.”
○ Every time you send a digital message (texts, e-mails, tweets, videos, posts), it stays in
○ Digital messages thus have a long life span and are easy to search, retrieve, and replicate,
even if deleted.
○ Search engines or anyone with account access can easily find your digital trail and deliver
it to anyone who wants it.
SELF-PRESENTATION AND MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
Take a moment to think about how you’re dressed today. Are you wearing casual clothes or
something more professional? You select your clothing to make a specific impression based on
• When you set up a social network profile, you make a series of decisions about how to
present your online face, or the positive self you want others to see.
CREATING YOUR ONLINE FACE
• Three elements largely determine your online face:
1. Posted content
○ Everything you post online communicates information about who you are and how
you wish to be seen. It also sends powerful messages about your tastes, interests, and
social identity.
○ Others’ posts about you shape others’ perceptions of you even more powerfully than
your own postings do, especially when their postings contradict your self-description.
○ Warranting value of the information presented is the degree to which the information
is supported by other people and outside evidence.
▪ Low warranting value is considered to be information crafted by the person, isn’t
supported by others online, or can’t be verified offline; and most people don’t trust
it.
2. E-mail and screen names
○ The name you use for your e-mail address, online profiles, or Web site tells others how
you want to be perceived online and creates powerful impressions.
○ Research indicates that screen names that are playful or represent physical traits (e.g.,
“Fun2bwith,” “Blueeyes”) are rated by viewers as attractive; neutral screen names (for
3. Friends and professional connections
○ Lists of your friends on Facebook, of your professional connections on LinkedIn, or
your followers on Twitter can also give impressions about your social status, political
ideology, and other interests.
○ Even the number of friends listed on your profile creates impressions. One study found
that individuals with about 300 Facebook friends were viewed as more likeable than
MANAGING YOUR ONLINE FACE
• Given how much communication occurs through social media, it’s essential that you
competently manage your online face and the following “three Ps” of mediated
communication:
1. Mediated communication is powerful in shaping others’ impressions of you. Others are
2. Mediated communication is public. Always assume that the self you present to others
through social media is going to be viewed by a much larger audience than you intended.
61
3. Mediated communication is permanent. Assume that anything and everything you and
others post about you online may still be available long into the future.
CHALLENGES OF MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
Sometimes it just happens. Without thinking, you send a sarcastic or rude message, forgetting
about how it might affect the person receiving it. Although technology is convenient and useful,
it also makes it easier to make poor communication choices such as using harsh language,
lying, and even harassing.
• The harsh truth is that some people use mediated communication to lie, deceive, harass, and
CAUSES OF MEDIATED COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
• Online disinhibition describes the effect mediated communication has on how people feel
free to say things—good and bad—that they’d never say to someone face-to-face.
○ The asynchronous nature of mediated communication in which the communicator doesn’t
expect an immediate response makes you more willing to openly express your emotions.
○ Mediated communication also provides a sense of invisibility that makes you feel
detached from the consequences of your messages. This sense is enhanced when you use
screen names or identities that aren’t traceable to your offline self.
• Empathy deficits are a dramatic reduction in your ability to experience another person’s
feelings. You may express yourself in blunt, tactless, and inappropriate ways; for example,
you might “shout” by using capitalized words or communicate things you’d never say over
the phone or face-to-face.
○ Mediated communication restricts feedback, and it can be hard to experience empathy
during this type of communication. During face-to-face and phone encounters, you
○ If you are unable to perceive others’ immediate nonverbal feedback, you can’t experience
empathy and adjust your communication accordingly.
○ People on the receiving end of your communication have the same deficit. Their online
messages are less sensitive and less tactful, even if they don’t mean to be any more than
you do.
TYPES OF MEDIATED COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
• When people experience online disinhibition and empathy deficits, they’re more likely to
encounter the following common challenges in mediated communication:
1. Digital deception
○ Digital deception occurs when someone sends a message that is intentionally
misleading or creates a false belief. Forms of digital deception include the following:
63
2. Flaming and trolling
○ Flaming refers to vicious, hostile, insulting, aggressive, or profane mediated messages
3. Online harassment and cyberbullying
○ Online harassment refers to mediated messages that are perceived by the recipient as
disturbing, threatening, or obsessive.
▪ Recipients should directly and clearly ask the person to stop or to remove the post.
Contact someone in a position of authority and ask for advice on what to do if they
refuse.
○ Cyberbullying occurs when online harassment turns into a communication pattern
that becomes persistent and is used to exert power with the intention of causing social
embarrassment, inflict emotional pain, or damage a person’s reputation.
64
USING MEDIATED COMMUNICATION COMPETENTLY
You probably spend a lot of time playing with the various features of a new phone or tablet.
However, it’s just as important to learn how to communicate competently when using
technology. If you don’t, you might make some missteps such as sending lengthy text messages
• Know when to use mediated communicate versus face-to-face.
○ First, consider the message itself. Handle emotional messages face-to-face or use
synchronous communication to better monitor and respond to the other person’s
reactions. Mediated communication is not the best approach for giving in-depth and
lengthy explanations, detailing problems, or conveying important decisions.
○ Second, consider the recipient: does he or she prefer certain means of communication?
If so, adapt your format accordingly.
• Remember the three Ps. Mediated communication is powerful, public, and permanent.
The things you say and do online endure. Think before you post.
• Practice creating drafts. Get into the habit of saving posts, texts, and e-mail messages
as drafts to avoid flaming. Then revisit the drafts later and edit them as needed for
appropriateness, effectiveness, and ethics.
• Use clear language and provide enough detail. Try to use the clearest words possible
and provide enough detail in your message. Avoid slang, jargon, and abbreviations unless
65
extra energy into perspective-taking, or seeing things from other people’s point of view,
and show empathic concern.
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you think it is ethical for a prospective employer to use your online persona in
their evaluation process? Why or why not?
• Students frequently have strong opinions on their right to privacy but often fail to see
the paradox created by desiring privacy while they continue to have a strong online
2. Explain in your own words online disinhibition. Give an example of how this might
help a close relationship and how this might hurt a close relationship. Explain why.
• Examples will vary, but discussing examples as a class will help provide more insight
into why students may feel more comfortable discussing private issues online or saying
3. If you had a friend who was being harassed online or cyberbullied, what would you
advise them to do?
• Allowing students an opportunity to discuss how best to handle online harassment and
cyberbullying may be beneficial to other students who are dealing with harassment.
66
4. Should the online communication you send to an employer or a teacher differ from
communication you send to a friend? Explain why or why not.
• Discuss with students the importance of using complete sentences, words, and thoughts
and of identifying who they are in their professional online correspondence. Many
5. Explain synchronous communication. Should you consider the receiver’s
background, age, or their relationship with you when you choose the appropriate
type of communication? Why or why not?
• Remind students that when choosing a method of communication, they need to
consider the receiver’s comfort level with online communication, the content of the
VIDEO SCENARIOS
HOW TO COMMUNICATE: REMOVING AN EMBARRASSING POST
This video feature shows students competent communication skills in action based on the
scenario following. The first video illustrates an ideal outcome, whereas the What if?
67
Have students watch the videos and answer the questions before class so that they will be
prepared to discuss the ways they would respond to each variation of the scenario.
Scenario: While hanging out with friends, you imitated how your boss flirts with customers,
totally unaware that your friend, Tim, was shooting a video of your performance. The next
The text suggests students use the following skills when asking Tim to take down the post:
• Be specific. Describe the exact post and your feelings about it. Avoid attacking or
blaming language. “I saw that you posted a video of me imitating how my boss flirts
with some of her customers . . . I’m so embarrassed.”
• Explain why it matters to you. State the personal impact of the post and other
potential consequences. “I’m really worried that my boss will see it and be hurt. I also
feel like it makes me look mean.”
• Politely request that the post be removed. Use language that saves face for your
friend. “I know you meant no harm by it, but I would like for you to remove it.”
Instructor note: Online, students will be asked a multiple-choice question after the first video.
For Chapter 3, the question is this:
Why is it important to ask Tim to take down the video?
A. To adhere to social information processing theory
B. To provide low warranting value
[The * indicates the right answer. Depending on how students answer the question, one of
these two feedback options should appear:
68
Right answer: Congratulations, you are correct!
Wrong answer: Incorrect. To better understand why an embarrassing post can affect your
online self-presentation, see the sections “Creating Your Online Face” and “Managing Your
Online Face” in Chapter 3.]
WHAT IF?
This section challenges students to adapt their skills and communication plans when things
don’t work out as shown previously. Students will view two videos. In each video, the
encounter becomes challenging, and students must decide how they would respond based on
the open-ended question.
If Tim says, “I don’t see why you’re mad about it. No one knows who you’re imitating, and
it’s funny.”
• Remind students to remain polite but to be specific when explaining to the other person
how the information could damage their online face. For example, “I’m not mad, and it
was funny, but I am concerned about how quickly things spread online. As a favor to
me, could you just take it down?”
If Tim says, “You weren’t too concerned about being ‘mean’ when you posted that photo of
me passed out after AgFest last year.”
• Remind students that by admitting that Tim is right about posting the photo, they can
69
will be happy to take it down. At that point I really didn’t realize how damaging it
could be. Why don’t we both do the right thing and take these pictures down?”
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Unplugged Challenge
Goal: To help students realize how social media affects their lives
Time: 20 minutes
2. Have them keep a journal throughout the day and record how the lack of technology
3. Discuss students’ experiences and share journal entries during class to help them
understand how dependent they are on their electronic devices. Discuss the pros and
2. YouTube Communication Project
Goal: To have students explore how social media affects the communication process
1. Divide students into four groups.
70
3. Ask students to research their topics and then create a 5- to 10-minute video that
explains their research with examples if applicable.
3. Tweet Sheet versus Face-to-Face
Goal: To have students understand the concept of online disinhibition
Time: 20 minutes
1. Divide students into two groups. Give students in one group an index card (tweet
sheet) for each person.
3. Ask the students in the group with the tweet sheet to write their honest opinions of
4. Then ask the other group to tell you their honest opinions of your statement face-to-
face. Jot down their responses.
5. Compare the tweet sheet responses to those given verbally. Did the group using face-
to-face communication respond as strongly as those who wrote down their answers?
4. Celebrity Rehab
Goal: To further students’ understanding of the effects of a damaged online face
Time: 60 minutes.
1. Ask students to select a celebrity, athlete, or politician who has damaged his or her
online face and, in turn, harmed his or her career. Students should be prepared to
explain how the celebrity lost face and subsequently handled the situation. Students
should also make suggestions about how the celebrity might have avoided the initial
2. Have students present their findings to the class and discuss.
5. Supreme Ruler of Social Media
Goal: To have students explore the ethics and effectiveness of social media communication
Time: 30 minutes
1. Divide the class into three groups.
2. Deem each group as supreme ruler of social media and have each group develop five
3. Have each group present their rules to the class and explain why they would make
1. TED Talks: Txtng is Killing Language. JK!!!
This 13-minute TED Talk by linguist John McWhorter discusses texting as an exciting
2. Cyberbullying Research Center
3. Social Information Processing Theory
In this 7-minute video, Laura Dolgy explains the social information processing theory
4. Ellen DeGeneres Clumsy Thumbsy: Anyone for Butt Rats Pizza?
5. 65_RedRoses (Force Four Entertainment/CBC Newsworld, 2009)
This documentary film about Eva Markvoort, a young woman from British Columbia