Interpersonal communication on the Internet has the following basic characteristics:

First, openness and diversity. Networked communication transcends the limitations of time and space, eliminates the boundaries between "here" and "there", expands interpersonal communication and interpersonal relationships, and makes interpersonal relationships more open. The birth of "electronic community" allows people living in different places to communicate and entertain "together". At the same time, the continuous expansion of the scope of communication will inevitably make people's various social relationships develop in a diversified and complex direction.

The second is autonomy and arbitrariness. Each member of the network can participate in the production and dissemination of information to the maximum extent, which makes network members have almost no external constraints and more autonomy. At the same time, the Internet is established based on the purpose of resource sharing and mutual benefit. Netizens have the right to decide what they do and how they do it. However, due to the lack of necessary restraint mechanisms, netizens must "manage themselves." Therefore, some people They will indulge themselves, lie at will, and hurt others online. Some people will even play multiple roles and engage in false interactions with others online, resulting in great randomness in online interactions.

The third is indirectness and extensiveness. The Internet has changed the way of interpersonal communication. One of the outstanding points is that it turns face-to-face and interactive communication between people into communication between people and machines, with obvious indirectness. This indirectness also determines the breadth of network communication. In the past, time and space limitations have always been the main obstacle for people to have more extensive interactions, but in the network society, this obstacle no longer exists. As long as you are willing, you can "dialogue" directly with anyone online.

The fourth is unreality and anonymity. The definition of interpersonal communication and interpersonal relationships in the network society has broken through the connotation of traditional interpersonal communication and interpersonal relationships. On the Internet, people can "enter anonymously", and netizens generally do not have direct face-to-face contact. This makes it easier for online interpersonal communication to break through the constraints of traditional factors such as age, gender, appearance, health, social status, identity, background, etc. . When some netizens communicate online, they often play virtual characters that are very different or even completely opposite to their actual identities and personality traits. For example, a five-foot-tall man can disguise himself as a young girl and play out romantic tragedies and comedies with other netizens; once he "loses his reputation", he can easily change his name and appear in a new look. In this case, many netizens often face role differences and role conflicts between two people online and offline, and are prone to psychological crises and even dual or multiple personality disorders.

The fifth is equality. Since the Internet has no center, no direct leadership and management structure, no hierarchy and privileges, every netizen may become the center. Therefore, the connections and interactions between people tend to be equal, and the individual's awareness of equality and rights also increases. further strengthened. People can use the unique interactive functions of the Internet to communicate with each other, create and use various information resources, and conduct interpersonal communication. Although the "digital divide" still exists, and many people in "information remote areas" have no opportunity to participate in online interpersonal interactions, in general, equality is still the main feature of online interpersonal relationships.

Sixth is anomie. The development of the online world has opened up new areas of interpersonal communication and formed corresponding norms. In addition to some technical rules (such as file transfer protocols, Internet protocols, etc.), network behavior, like other social behaviors, also requires moral norms and principles. Therefore, some basic "rural rules and regulations" have emerged, such as the language format used in e-mails , etiquette for online conversations, etc. However, judging from the current situation, most network rules are limited to ethics and morals, and the norms used to restrict specific behaviors of interpersonal communication on the Internet are not yet complete, and lack operability and effective control means. This can easily lead to disorder and anomie in network communication. In fact, the online society is full of competition, conflicts, and criminal activities occur from time to time. This requires certain social ethics and legal norms to adjust online interpersonal relationships in order to maintain normal online order.

Seventh is the alienation of interpersonal emotions.

The global nature of the Internet and the advanced means of information transmission have eliminated spatial barriers to communication between people. At the same time, it has also made the emotions between people in the real society more distant. Although online virtual communication can help people get rid of temporary real-life worries and find temporary sustenance, it cannot truly meet the emotional needs of real people. Some people tend to become more alienated from real life because they are overly addicted to the virtual world. feel.