Consider This 1.1Do group members have to interact face-to-face
to be a "real" group? Molly, Gloria’s stepdaughter, communicates
frequently with her group of high school friends via email and instant messaging,
even though group members are scattered in colleges from coast to coast.
Molly would argue that this virtual group is just as "real" as
when the women saw each other daily in high school, although there are some
differences. What differences do you see between face-to-face (FTF) and computer-mediated
(CM) groups? What limitations might FTF groups have over CM groups, and vice
versa? Do you think virtual groups are as satisfying as FTF groups? What difference
might it make if the virtual group members know each other in FTF context as
opposed to knowing each other just online? |