Haythornthwaite,+Caroline+Strong,+Weak,+and+Latent+Ties+and+the+Impact+of+New+Media

=**Haythornthwaite, Caroline “Strong, Weak, and Latent Ties and the Impact of New Media” **= ; Oct2002, Vol. 18 Issue 5, p385-401, 17p

= Abstract =

This article argues that consideration of the strength of ties between communicators can help reconcile disparate results on the impact of new media on social relations. It is argued from the research literature and studies by the author that where ties are strong, communicators can in influence each other to adapt and expand their use of media to support the exchanges important to their tie, but where ties are weak, communicators are dependent on common, organizationally established means of communication and protocols established by others. Due to this differential use of media, a new medium that adds means and opportunities for previously unconnected others to communicate will have positive effects on weak ties and weak-tie networks, in particular by laying an infrastructure of latent ties (ones that exist technically but have not yet been activated), and providing an opportunity for weak ties to develop and strengthen. A new medium may also have positive effects on strongly tied pairs where it adds another means of communicating and supports the communication needs and tasks of the pair. However, where a new medium replaces a former, common means of communication, the dependence of weak ties on common medium makes weak-tie networks highly susceptible to dissolution. In contrast, strong-tie networks, with their connections via multiple relations and multiple media, can be expected to be more robust under conditions of change.

= Argument =

Haythorthwaite argues that ties we have with other people in our lives can be affected by our use of new media. Social networking sites allow for the establishment of new ties and/or the strengthening of the ties that have already been made. A tie exists between people wherever they exchange or share resources. This includes face-to-face, social gatherings, telephones, videoconferencing, email, social networking site such as Facebook and Twitter, and other computer media. This is how ties can be maintained. "The thesis here is that it is not the characteristics of the medium that matter (such as asynchronicity or synchronicity, text or video), but the way the introduction of the medium creates a social network of ties, how its presence sustains such a network, and how its removal disrupts such a network."

=Key Passages=

"...new media are seen as integrative, connecting disparate others (Constant et al., 1996; Feldman, 1987; Pickering & King, 1995), increasing the involvement of peripheral players (Eveland & Bikson, 1988; Sproull & Kiesler, 1986, 1991), consolidating existing connections (Lind & Zmud, 1995), and supporting rich online communities (Jones, 1995, 1998; Kiesler, 1997; Smith & Kollock, 1999; Sudweeks et al., 1997)" (385)

"But where the introduction of the new media removes or overrides the way in which ties have been maintained in the past (e.g., from phone to e-mail, Markus, 1994a, 1994b; or from face-to-face meetings to listservs, Yates et al., 1999), the impact may be negative: removing existing connectivity and disrupting the ability for pairs to communicate." (386)

"The dual usefulness of strong and weak ties begins to provide some explanation for the impacts of new media." (387)

"In examining ties, we are examining the building blocks for networks, and any change at the tie level may have an impact at the network level. Communication is a key way in which ties are maintained, and media enable such connection." (387)

"Earlier theories and approaches to computer-mediated communication (CMC) have been tacitly concerned with the types of social network relations communicators can maintain via CMC." (388)

"By using more media to communicate, and being more proactive in seeking channels for communication,strong ties are likely to be more robust under conditions of change than are weak ties." (391)

"By providing multiple means of communication to groups, members can use these means to build the communication array that best serves their needs and habits." (397)

=Selected Works Cited=

Haythornthwaite, C. 2000. Online personal networks: Size, composition and media use among distance learners. New Media and Society 2(2):195–226.

Monge, P. R., and Contractor, N. S. 2000. Emergent communication networks. In New handbook of organizational communication, eds. F. M. Jablin and L. L. Putnam, pp. 440–502. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Rice, R. E. 1999. Artifacts and paradoxes in new media. New Media & Society 1(1):24–32.

Wellman, B. 2001. Computer networks as social networks. Science 293(5537):2031 –2034.