1 Digital Storytelling Rationale Zackary Shoemaker Northwest University COMM 1003/1009: Introduction to Human Communication Jillene Krause 16 October 2023 Story Link: https://storybird.s3.amazonaws.com/generated-book/10774816/tM8bP6NpF8/the-gobble-de-goo k.pdf 2 Digital Storytelling Rationale The communication issue at hand in “The Gobble-De-Gook” is that there is an initial power imbalance between the two siblings Keith and Lydia. Keith has a considerable amount of power at the beginning of the scavenger hunt, leading him to take charge of the hunt while excluding Lydia from participating in finding the solution. Lydia does not address this head-on and instead just struggles to follow. Keith notices that Lydia is feeling ostracised and otherwise melancholy about the situation based on her demeanor and addresses the concern. This allows Lydia to open up about her feelings which leads Keith to include her in solving the clues for the scavenger hunt. The pair then briefly reflect on the scenario in the denouement of the story. Some evidence that this communication disconnect occurs is tied to the prevalence of sibling rivalries as a method of attaining power and distinct attention from others, including parents and each other. As Whiteman et al. (2011) describe, “...rivalry between siblings is grounded in each child’s need to overcome potential feelings of inferiority. As a means of reducing competition, siblings often differentiate or ‘de-identify,’ developing different personal qualities and choosing different niches,” (Whiteman et al., 2011). This is illustrated by how Lydia feels inferior to Keith at the beginning of the hunt and through communicating they work to overcome that discrepancy. However, such a peaceful resolution is not always commonplace in sibling relationships. The feelings of inferiority in sibling relationships impact children substantially in how they develop relationships with other people, particularly peers outside of their family unit. As Dunn (2002) writes, “There is evidence for associations between the quality of siblings’ relationships and their externalizing (aggressive, oppositional, rule-breaking) and internalizing (worrying, anxious) behavior, links found both contemporaneously and over time,” (Dunn, 2002, 3 p. 228). Lydia internalizes her feelings in the story, which explains why she does not initially want to divulge her feelings to Keith, instead waiting for him to open up to her and create a safe space for her to be vulnerable. Again, though, while present in the story, open communication between siblings - especially when vulnerable - is not always present. In particular, this distance between siblings can have significant impacts on how siblings develop relationships with others later in life since a lack of open, vulnerable communication can lead to relationship uncertainty between the siblings. “RU [relationship uncertainty] interferes with message processing and produces negative emotional and cognitive states (Knobloch & Satterlee, 2009), which in turn are likely to impede the development and maintenance of close and satisfying relationships,” (Schrodt & Phillips, 2016, pp. 491-492). By not developing a caring relationship like the one illustrated between Lydia and Keith, children can find themselves struggling to perceive the emotions of others properly, especially in relationships where openness and vulnerability are key - romantic relationships, for instance. As such, it is pivotal that children learn that communicating and particularly listening to their siblings is important, even if they may perceive each other as annoying or even as competition. This only becomes more important as siblings grow up and grow apart, where siblings can often provide support more often and better than parents in most instances (Dunn, 2002, p. 230). Therefore, the earlier this foundation of trust and openness can be created between siblings, the stronger their future relationships, both with each other and with others outside their family, will be much stronger and more supportive. 4 References Dunn, J. (2002). Sibling Relationships. In P. K. Smith & C. H. Hart (Eds.), Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development (pp. 223-237). Wiley. https://gacbe.ac.in/images/E%20books/Blackwell%20Handbook%20of%20Childhood%2 0Social%20Development.pdf#page=240 Schrodt, P., & Phillips, K. E. (2016). Self-disclosure and relational uncertainty as mediators of family communication patterns and relational outcomes in sibling relationships. Communication Monographs, 83(4), 486-504. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul-Schrodt/publication/309366286_Self-disclosur e_and_relational_uncertainty_as_mediators_of_family_communication_patterns_and_rel ational_outcomes_in_sibling_relationships/links/5bb2340792851ca9ed339c3a/Self-disclo sure Whiteman, S. D., McHale, S. M., & Solis, A. (2011, June 01). Theoretical Perspectives on Sibling Relationships - PMC. NCBI. Retrieved October 16, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3127252/
