Knapp's Relationship Model and my Mom

     This week, I would like to disclose how online communication has affected an interpersonal relationship of mine, and how it connects to Knapp's Relationship Model. The stage I specifically would like to examine is relational maintenance and how online communication either makes or breaks that maintenance. 

    The relationship I would like to examine is my mother and I's relationship. This is a relationship that, since I was quite literally born, has already undergone the coming together aspect of Knapp's model. I am the eldest daughter in my immediate family, so that in itself should help to give you a better baseline for how my relationship with my mom already is. I have much higher expectations compared to those of my younger sister, I tend to hold more responsibility within the household when I go home, I have always been expected to help take care of my sister, and overall there is higher tension between my mom and I since there is just simply a harsher bar to meet compared to anyone else in my mother's eyes. 

    For most relationships, especially romantic ones, I never suggest long distance to ANYONE. I say this as someone who did long distance with my boyfriend for a year and somehow managed to stay with him to this day. In my opinion, over the phone, even on Facetime or on a call, does not give you the same experience as in person. You can not pick up on body language, tone, or any of the small things that allow you to know whether the other person is joking, mad, sad, happy, serious, or anything else really. It is like trying to communicate through a brick wall. I think this is why many relationships enter into Knapp's coming apart section of his model, communicating online simply is not the same, and for long periods of time, it is an unsuccessful way of communicating. It interrupts the human experience. 

    However, when looking at my relationship with my mom, moving away and communicating with her over the phone has been a relationship saver for us. It allows us to communicate really every other day, and it allows me to not have to walk on eggshells with her 24/7. It has also allowed me to realize that although she and I do not live well together since we butt heads so much, she and I do not have a bad relationship. Over the phone, she and I are able to maintain our relationship very positively without overstepping boundaries and getting into fights. She and I have reached a balance with each other, and communicating online has actually helped with our relationship, not brought us apart. 

This week's song of the week is Going Gets Tough by the Growlers. They are a great band I have been following since my freshman year of high school, and I know many of us are already tired of spring term. This will hopefully be able to motivate you to keep going and keep pushing through till summer. 

https://youtu.be/_fL0vu1VwKQ