The connection with peers will come largely in the form of “phatic communication,” a concept first described in the 1900s by Bronisław Malinowski and expounded upon by linguist Roman Jakobson. Also called “ambient awareness” by technology writer Clive Thompson (Johnson 1), this is the type of communication that exists to perform social roles rather than to transmit information. An example of phatic communication is the casual question “how are you doing?”: the questioner does not really want to hear an information-packed response, but asks in order to maintain the friendship and initiate communication. Other examples of phatic communication would be “How was your weekend?” “How about that game last night?” “What are you up to these days?” or “Do you have any big plans for the holidays?” As soon as the conversation moves toward more information-based queries (What are you researching? Did you see that debate last night? Are you coming to my party this week?), the communication has left the realm of the phatic.
Twitter is an ideal medium for phatic communication—in fact, one of the biggest criticisms of Twitter (I don’t care what you had for lunch, or what color your new fridge is, or what you think about last night’s TV show) deals with the abundance of tweets that are purely phatic (such as those that focus on lunch menus, appliance colors, and musings about “The Biggest Loser”). Much of everyday communication, according to Jakobson, includes some element of the phatic function of language. While Twitter publicizes such communication more broadly, it is still following the general rules of phatic communication. Some tweets seem to have no bearing on any particular rhetorical situation, but they are in fact playing key roles in the very communication that can profoundly influence rhetorical situations by keeping the channels open. Not all tweets are phatic in nature—while Twitter updates often include comments about banal observations and content-less blather, there are also significant numbers of more content-laden tweets.
This combination of phatic and information-based communication means that rhetors are able to share their lives in a way previously impossible. One information science expert explains that these microblogging experiences are quite powerful in the aggregate: “Merely looking at a stranger’s Twitter or Facebook feed isn’t interesting, because it seems like blather. Follow it for a day, though, and it begins to feel like a short story; follow it for a month, and it’s a novel[12]” (Thompson, “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy”).
These relationships also give rhetors a significant power that previously was very difficult to cultivate. Phatic communication keeps the channels of communication open so that when something significant happens, and substantive communication is needed, the channels are already established. This web of connections acts much like a power grid. The power lines are set up and ready to go—sometimes only using a percentage of the carrying capacity of the lines—so that when something substantive comes along the grid is ready to facilitate transmission to the appropriate parties. The web of power lines is comparable to the foundation of phatic communication—the circle of regular contacts, of people whose breakfast choices I might have read about. When something important happens, I send my current through the already-established web, and suddenly I move from phatic to more substantive communication. This phatic web makes substantive-laden communication more meaningful: without the web there, the content lacks context. Twitter is only one of many providers of this phatic context, but it is definitely one of the most timely, accessible, and wide-reaching.
This kind of communication proves useful for students for a number of reasons. For example, students feel more comfortable with each other in the classroom, creating a more open and collaborative environment. Students also feel more comfortable with the teacher, helping them be open to asking questions and contributing to the class discussions. Ideally, students will work better together in groups, as they will feel like a team or a group rather than a bunch of people getting credit in the same class at the same time.
Sample Twitter applications
Some might wonder why Twitter is better at creating rhetorical identification than non-microblogging forms such as whiteboards, emails, class discussions, etc. The key comes in this element of phatic communication: the classroom will be augmented with an ambient buzz of scholarly discussion, collaboration, and commenting. Students will be more connected as they interact in such a proprioception-oriented manner.
For an opinion piece:
Write your first paragraph. Now condense that down into a sentence. Now condense that down into a tweet. Now post. Read and comment on 3 other argument sentences. This exercise helps students find the essence of their paper, which helps them focus their future drafts. It also gives students the opportunity to communicate “phatic-ly” with each other, to comment on others’ efforts and identify with their opinions.
Post a link to a digital draft of your paper, along with a short description. Now go read two other papers and write comments. As students read their peers’ extended arguments, they will become more invested in the success of their peers.
For an analysis piece:
Find an article that uses irony. Tweet the link and comment on whether you think the irony worked or didn’t work for the intended audience. Read three other tweets and comment on their analysis. This will fulfill the twofold purpose of helping the students develop a critical eye for audience awareness while at the same time helping them get to know each other and express themselves in phatic-based discussion.
Find an article whose audience is tree-huggers. Tweet the link. Respond to whether you are a part of that audience. Read and comment on peers’ tweets. This assignment helps students learn to pick out audiences while at the same time giving them the chance to identify with other audiences. Students will get to know each other by reading and discussing peers’ analysis and statements of belief.
For a researched position:
Condense your argument down to 140 characters and post it to Twitter. Now respond to another student’s argument with a question. As students engage in this short-and-sweet peer-review session they will learn principles of analysis and coordination.
Find other members of the class who are researching similar topics. Tweet links relevant to all your papers. This example of scholarly proprioception will help students learn to engage in a scholarly community and share the load of research.
For a multimodal composition:
Tweet a response to at least three peers’ profile pictures on Twitter. Does their picture capture them as people? Tweet any suggestions. Many students love pictures, and inviting them to look at their friends’ pictures with a rhetorically critical eye will help them learn the principles, get to know their peers better, and grow closer together as a class.
In summary, as students share blips of informed thought with each other, they will begin to get a feel for how their peers think about the class’s readings and discussions. This understanding will help them feel comfortable to engage in peer reviews, to share research, and to discuss class readings.
See also how Twitter can be used to create connections with the teacher and with experts in their field.
