Abstract:

Internet has changed the way people interact with each other, especially the young people, by making them favor online interaction rather than face-to-face interaction. Previous studies have already provided evidences for a lower social anxiety in online interactions. They proved that people felt less social stress online than face-to-face interactions. Psychological explanations of above conclusion are offered from four aspects: self-disclosure, fears of evaluation, achievement motivation and behavioral inhibition system. However, those explanations still need supports from more integrated theories and objective experimental results.

Key words: online interaction, face-to-face interaction, social anxiety