ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how nonverbal communication functions in cyberspace. Witness the popularity of sites such as Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Flickr, and Pinterest - sites that provide a space for developing a sense of community and that accomplish the sharing of additional social clues. Technology continues to transform person-to-person interaction. The use of language is more important when writing an email than it is when we interact face-to-face. An email writer's choice of words and use of nonverbal affectors, including the nature of or absence of a greeting, and the overall appearance of the email, influence how the reader interprets and responds to the email. A graphics interchange format (GIF) of excited toddlers might communicate the feeling and mood inherent in our words. The low-cue online environment also increases self-disclosures and the sharing of photos - even if they are digitally retouched. Over time, online relationships may be as strong as face-to-face relationships.
