Week 7: Post 1

While I have not developed any of my friendships "exclusively in cyberspace," I have maintained numerous "social relationships"/collegial relationships through electronic media such as Facebook, Twitter, and through e-mail communication. Something often mentioned about my professional field (Student Affairs/Higher Education) is our degree of separation is more like two people rather than six! (I have CERTAINLY found this to be fact!) Because we travel often, present at conferences annually, and "turn-over" in our positions, as common practice, every 2-3 years, the opportunity to expand a sizeable cyber-friend list tends to be lofty. For me, the differences in these relationships are their focus:"business;"meaning our students, our functional areas, and the progress of our field. We use these mediums as an opportunity to track who is attending what conferences, what are the new trends, and when jobs are posted for review. In addition, rarely do I speak to these people via telephone, as our interactions and relationship building have not extended beyond the surface layers (quite similar to Duck's Filtering Theory, Trenholm, 2008, p. 158) and are not focused on reaching an intimate status. As I age and develop my position in the field, I have more appreciation for the purpose of these relationships, as I have often been someone who strives to develop authentic, rich relationships with EVERYONE I meet. I have learned, for my self-care's sake ( ;) ), this is not possible with all people. Each person serves a purpose in my personal and professional life and our relationships are not less authentic because they occur through a computer; this is the agreed upon communication understanding of the people engaging in the relationship and needs are met.