ABSTRACT
Internet-mediated communication (IMC) may be seen as lacking in face-to-face interaction but it is gaining popularity with the new found freedom people now have on the Internet. However, the relationships formed online may be questioned on their genuineness. If we are indeed concerned as to whether face-to-face communication or IMC is preferred in developing and maintaining friendships, then we should ask people about their preferred IMC usage patterns compared to face-to-face communication. That was what I mainly did for 200 students in Singapore. However, in order to compare the responses of working adults in a business world and that of students to see how relationships differ between the two groups, I also surveyed some 130 working adults. Then, by examining their online relationships using Aristotle’s notions of friendships and the dimensions of relationship development (namely interdependence, breadth, depth, understanding and predictability, and commitment), I found that, in spite of the freedom of communication on the Internet, the students preferred face-to-face interaction rather than IMC in forming and developing friendships. Moreover, their online friendships did not have the specific dimensions of relationship development, indicating that their relationships were superficial rather than the true friendships as defined by Aristotle. This study also found that the working adults did not view frequency of communication as an
important attribute in making friends, use ICQ less often than do students, and rarely interact with strangers online to consider them as friends or even to meet them in real-life.
