The results of a new study reinforce the fact that in-person meetings offer notably greater benefits than connecting and communicating virtually.
A new study published January 6, “Socializing While Alone: Loss of Impact and Engagement When Interacting Remotely via Technology,” in the Perspectives on Psychological Science journal, suggests that electronic communication and interaction will leave attendees feeling unfulfilled.
"If there is no other choice than computer-mediated communication, then it is certainly better than nothing," said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication at The Ohio State University, in this Medical Xpress article. "But if there is a possibility of meeting in person, then using technology instead is a poor substitute."
Planners could cite this rationale to executives who might want to replace an in-person meeting with virtual or make a meeting hybrid to reduce the number of in-person attendees.
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The concept known as “socializing alone” applies to computer-mediated communication because communicating through a screen is a solo act. And socializing alone can reduce engagement and impact, which is undesirable for event hosts. The virtual format not only results in attendees having less positive emotion, but also a mix of negative emotions as well.
When it comes to computer-mediated communication, the lesser of two evils would be video meetings. Research from the study showed video delivers more positive emotions than online messaging.
Also, the research showed that laughing out loud is a desirable emotional response yielded from face-to-face communication; this reaction is of course a better alternative to typing “LOL” across a screen.
"Humans were shaped by evolution to be highly social," Bushman said. "But many of the benefits of social interactions are lost or reduced when you interact with people who are not present with you."
