Knapp's Relational Model

The interpersonal relationship that I closely connected with was that of my freshman year roommate at OSU.  Our relationship went through the various stages in Knapp's Relational Model. My roommate Julia and I had never met before on the day of move in. We were complete strangers, and so, our relationship began at the first stage...initiating. Julia and I exchanged information when we first met. Our Instagram, phone numbers, snapchat, everything we would need to get to know one another better on a deeper level. We started to get comfortable with one another immediately. As the first term of school passed, our relationship progressed to the next stage...experimenting. Julia were getting more comfortable sharing personal stories and experiences, finding common interests, and making mutual friends in our dorm. We had movie nights to exchange our favorite films, went out to lunches and dinners, walked to class together, and did fun activities like hike or go to football games! We also decided to go through fall formal recruitment together to join a sorority, and as fate had it, we joined the same one! Our relationship deepened when we reached the last stage...intensifying. Julia and I became close friends, we trusted each other, supported each other, and told one another nearly everything.

Online communication impacted our relationship significantly. While we lived in the dorms, social media platforms like snapchat allowed us to communicate consistently, when we were home, in a class, or any other time. We messaged each other very often and shared what was going on in our lives, made plans, sent funny TikToks, etc. This form of communication helped us strengthen our bond even more. Although, there were also downsides to communicating on digital platforms instead of talking face to face. It sometimes led to misunderstandings. Especially considering that things like tone and context cannot be conveyed through a phone. During conflicts, we also sometimes turned to using our phones and these platforms instead of addressing issues face-to-face, which would often make the issue worse. In conclusion, our relationship was super special overall and we went through the stages of Knapp's Relational Model. Julia and I are still great friends, this model helped us become this way!