Web chatting

Web chatting vs. Dialogue

The invention of Internet also allows people to have conversation online. Web chatting devices such as MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger contribute to global connectivity while allowing the users to chat with their friends and people around the world. Similar to text messaging, the user is able to exchange instant message with other users. With a web camera, the user can also start a video conversation, which allows the transmission and exchange of the sound, as well as the visual image. In fact, the videoconferencing is quite common in North America as it often serves the purpose of reducing travel expenses. Although the web chatting provides a way of interacting with other people, it does not seem to improve human communication because unlike live conversation, web chatting lacks the social context and human contact. When people chat online, the verbal nuances are undermined, as people are often unable to recognize the smallest fluctuation of voice through the use of technology. The social settings are unvaried and the exchange of information is considered to be more important than one’s physical cues such as one’s facial expressions and gestures, which are crucial details that are suggestive of one’s emotional state during a live conversation.