Week 2, Post 4: Virtual vs. Real Communication

The line between virtual and real communication is blurred. I find communicating via AIM or text messaging or email very real. The emotions I feel while using CMC are the same emotions I feel when communicating face-to-face. Perhaps real and virtual communication need to be redefined. Virtual communication is very real as it has real consequences. This class, though online, is real. It better be real for how much it cost and because it's graded! Virtual for me implies imaginary, like with virtual reality games. But how virtual is virtual? I recently saw on the news that a woman got in serious trouble for killing her husband's avitar online. Sounds very real to me. Online relationships are real as well. Consistent with the research, I had many relationships begin, maintain, and end on AIM. My first boyfriend in high school asked me out on AIM. We had most of our conversations outside of school on AIM and we broke up over AIM. And it was all very real (and painful). I was sad for months. There's nothing virtual about that.