Social Robots and the Dialectics of Presence and Absence
2026-08-31
Social robots function as embodied social media, structuring interaction by simultaneously acting as social agents and mediating technologies. This study examines how 103 young adult participants engaged with zoomorphic social robots in initial encounters, revealing dialectical tensions between presence and absence, connection and disconnection, and realism and artificiality. Drawing from relational dialectics theory (RDT) and semiotics, we frame social robots within a plural communication ontology—operating both as communicative partners and as structuring media that regulate relational expectations. Findings indicate that while social robots facilitate engagement, their enacted affordances also constrain interaction, exposing the limits of artificial presence. Like social media platforms, these robots curate sociality, fostering immersion while highlighting mediation. By conceptualizing social robots as communicative infrastructures, this study advances research on human–machine communication and technological mediation, illustrating how social robots shape social connection through structured engagement and interactive constraints.