Topic > The impact of computer-mediated forms of communication (CMC) on interpersonal relationships

In today's digital age, relationships are mediated by social media. Social media is changing the nature of relationships because of the presence it creates through the creation of a social identity. Within a romantic relationship between two individuals, computer-mediated communication (CMC) can be a factor in the development of the relationship. Throughout my personal experience in a relationship, CMC such as texting and social media use (Snapchat and Facebook) help describe the journey. CMC concepts, such as Multiplexity, Selective Self Presentation, and Experiential Learning, can all be applied to my personal life experience. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay In my most recent relationship, my ex-girlfriend Kelly and I had some issues based on a communication aspect, as well as other reasons throughout the development of our relationship from start to finish. I had originally met Kelly at work, as we had worked together for over a year and had always just been friends. Eventually, our friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship. We were connected in more ways than one other than the professional work environment. This presented how our relationship started as one thing and transformed into another, describing the concept of Multiplexity. The concept of Multiplexity describes a connection between two people that includes more than one social connection. For example, an actor and actress might co-star in a movie, and outside of the movie they are married in real life. When our relationship changed from uniplex to multiplex, that's when problems started to arise. My girlfriend had the problem of always wanting to communicate via text messages rather than face to face about more serious and legitimate problems or issues. Being a humble and more mature individual, I was not a fan of these ways. Since I was a child I was always taught to discuss problems with someone face to face because that is the most respectful way to handle problems. When I got tired of these actions, I finally started thinking that it would be more mature and respectful for both of us if we switched our more serious conversations from text messages to face to face or via FaceTime. Our goal was to ultimately reduce problems in response to this new communication in our relationship. Kelly often used Facebook excessively to portray our relationship as something it wasn't, trying to create a presence that was non-existent. The concepts of selective self-presentation can be presented to describe this behavior. When we started talking regularly, Kelly would tell instant chat stories, post photos of us, and make Facebook posts introducing us as a couple who were dating, when in reality we had just started talking. This described the process of selective self-presentation. Selective self-presentation can be described as the way people attempt to present themselves to control or shape how others or their audiences see them. Ultimately they want to create the desired impression. For example, someone might post a photo of themselves living lavishly on social media, but in reality that person isn't living a luxurious lifestyle day to day. They want to be perceived as something they are not to gain visibility. Kelly's impression of us was that we were dating and we wanted it publicized. The concept of experiential learning related to CMC can be applied to my past experience.