Critical Review 'Making friends in cyberspace', Parks and Floyd, 1996

Critical Review relating to Chapter 6 (Offprint 3) 'Making friends in cyberspace', Parks and Floyd, 1996 Internet usage has greatly increased from its origins in the 1960's linking university and defence laboratories to a 'global network connecting between 30 and 40 million people'(Elmer-Dewitt, 1995) This study was conducted to examine the social world that has been created by using internet discussion groups (newsgroups). The study surrounds four questions: 'How often do personal relationships form in Internet newsgroups, who has them, …

…order to back up the claims that the internet is a social place, further research would be required to seek out those that feel loneliness and isolation within CMC. References: Joinson A and Littleton K. (2002) 'Computer-mediated communication:living, learning and working with computers' Brace, N & Westcott H(ed)., Applying Psychology. Milton Keynes, The Open University. Parks, R & Floyd K (1996) 'Making friends in Cyberspace' , Journal of Communication, 1996, vol.46, no.1, Winter,pp.80-97