Rethinking telepresence: post- and pre-COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Media Studies
• Communication Studies
• Sociology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies for remote connection.
• Social telepresence, defined as interpersonal connection at a distance, has historically been facilitated by various communication methods.
• The epistolary, or letter writing, is a significant but often overlooked historical medium for social telepresence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-examine the concept of social telepresence within a historical media studies framework.
• To propose a comparative framework for analyzing historical and contemporary telepresence technologies and practices.
• To highlight the long-standing human need for connection despite physical separation.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of communication technologies and social practices.
• Conceptual framework development for comparing telepresence forms.
• Literature review integrating media studies and historical perspectives.

Main Results:

• Social telepresence is a long-standing human practice, not solely a product of modern digital technology.
• The epistolary represents a crucial, historically significant form of social telepresence.
• A novel comparative framework is introduced for evaluating telepresence across different historical periods and technologies.

Conclusions:

• Understanding social telepresence requires a historical perspective that acknowledges pre-digital forms.
• The proposed framework offers a nuanced approach to comparing diverse telepresence experiences.
• Further research should utilize this framework to explore the evolution of interpersonal connection through media.