Mediated Immediacy During Virtual Dinners Between Strangers

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual communication channels have been used to ensure physical distance between people. However, moving everyday social interactions into virtual platforms also affects the communication of relational distance – that is, immediacy – between people. The study goal is to understand the content, functions, and situational meanings of immediacy at virtual dinners between strangers. We observed, recorded, and analyzed four virtual dinners and interviewed all participants afterward. The participants lived in Finland at the time of the study. The results revealed that in addition to self-presentational and other-oriented communication, the participants engaged in communication that aimed at creating common ground for interaction. Based on the results, it can be concluded that mediated immediacy is communication that, in addition to being relational (distance between interlocutors), is also situational (finding common ground).