ABSTRACT
Correspondence: Zizi Papacharissi, Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media, Temple University, Annenberg Hall Rm. 6, Philadelphia, PA 19122; email: zpapacha@temple.edu
Communication Yearbook 29, pp.215-237
ZIZI PAPACHARISSI Temple University
This synthesis of literature examines confl icting and overlapping conclusions on the uses and consequences of new media and fi nds that approaches in interpreting these results are frequently guided by the belief that online and offl ine interactions somehow take place on separate social planes. Rather than viewing this as a real versus virtual question, this review suggests these results be viewed as indicative of the human need to fi ne-tune social contact, manage time, and express identity in a manner that combines present and future technologies. As online media mature and newer technologies develop, an overview of the contributions and shortcomings of relevant communication research could inform scholarly investigation in the future.
