As many of you are already aware, Dr. Weisgerber, Jenn Deering Davis, and I have submitted a panel proposal for SXSWi 2010 titled “Is Technology Weakening Interpersonal Relationships?” With only three days left to vote, I decided to stop talking, and start showing.

Our panel proposal can be read in full detail HERE, but to put it simply, our goal is to discuss the implications of three types of relationships: Familial, Professional, and Romantic. This video highlights one of those categories by following the evolution of a romantic relationship, online.

The relationship in this video will not appear unusual and it most certainly does not represent the downfall of interpersonal communication as our title may suggest. However, what is interesting about the evolution of this relationship is how public it is, how engaged both members are online, how social networks affect bonding and separation, and how desensitized we have become as a community to each of these phenomenons:

(If you’re on your iPhone, watch the YouTube version HERE)

If chosen, we hope to bring attention to the dynamic shift occurring in interpersonal relationships. We will discuss research in the field of communication as well as examine what positive and negative repercussions we can expect in the future as technology continues to progress.

We all engage in interpersonal relationships, whether it be with your spouse, your parent, your boss, or your child. Technology will help us do this, but it will also change the rules by which we play. Help us get to SXSWi 2010 and we’ll help you understand these changes and how to use them to your advantage. Thank you to everyone for the continued support and we look forward to seeing you in Austin this March!

UPDATE: We were accepted! If you’re attending SXSW this year, please check out our panel, Friday at 3:30pm in room 12AB at the Austin Convention Center. More info here.

“Is Technology Weakening Interpersonal Relationships?” from Ashley Brown on Vimeo.