Relationships through chat

Parallel lecture (P11)

HOW TO DEAL WITH FORMALITY (DISTANCE) AND EMOTIONS (PROXIMITY) IN A CHAT-SESSION?
Prof. Gudrun LEDEGEN

My speech will focus on how chat-conversations can be an efficient response to callers' discomfort, and how do they allow people to be welcomed and listened to. The language practices are distancing, to allow the callers to confide, but it can also be finely marked by emotion and humour, in a profound respect and reassurance of the people who come to the chat. Even if the chat lacks the prosody of the oral voice or the in-depth development of writing via email, by more rapid answering as being co-connected, multiple solutions and adaptations to this device are revealed in my study corpus of 11 years of the chat (2005-2015), which begins from the early development of this chat-device in the non-profit-making organisation - made up specifically for young public - until its cruising speed. The analysis will focus more specifically on the expression of different emotions and expressions of humour, that are some among the elements that make this distant face-to-face by screen fully efficient. 

COMMUNICATION - THE DIGITAL WAY: HOW TO ACCOMPANY PEOPLE EVEN WITHOUT FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, GESTURES AND VOICE 
Birgit KNATZ

Digitalisation is increasingly influencing our lives, the way we communicate and work, our consumer behaviour and our social relationships. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to restrictions in mobility and social interaction, has affected the quality of life of many people, depression, anxiety disorders and addictions, as well as other mental illnesses have increased worldwide (WHO). As a helpline, we are challenged to continue to go digital and offer emotional support in online formats such as mail, chat, messenger services and online programmes (apps). As is well known, there are differences between emailing, chatting and telephoning. The form of communication in emailing and chatting is written-based and non-verbal signals such as facial expressions and gestures, voice, tone of voice and intonation are omitted. Misunderstandings are more frequent in chatting than in emailing, as chats take place in real time (synchronously) and require faster and more spontaneous communication, whereas in emailing, both the person seeking advice and the counsellor have more time to formulate their text. In addition, notions of professionalism get in the way of casual, terse and more uninhibited chat communication. In my lecture, I will show which digital counselling formats exist with their specific characteristics, features and target group reach and how a written dialogue via chat and email can succeed.