The Social Presence Paradox: How Reduced Social Visibility Enhances Student Involvement and Reduces Pressure in SCMC English Learning

Despite widespread adoption of Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (SCMC) in English as a foreign language (EFL) education, the relationship between social presence and learning outcomes remains poorly understood. This study examined the impact of social presence on student involvement and psychological pressure among Saudi EFL learners, challenging assumptions that higher social presence universally enhances engagement. A mixed-method, cross-sectional survey investigated perceptions of 183 female Saudi secondary and intermediate students (aged 14-19) using questionnaires with Likert-scale items and open-ended questions to assess involvement and anxiety across different social presence configurations in SCMC environments. Findings revealed a significant inverse relationship between social presence and student involvement, with 77% reporting enhanced participation when temporal control decreased immediate social pressure, and 61% experiencing reduced anxiety through visual anonymity. Students valued “limited social presence” (61.6% positive response), enabling comfortable participation without fear of judgment. Qualitative data showed that reduced social presence created a “safe environment”, encouraging language experimentation and risk-taking behaviour essential for EFL development. This study challenges educational assumptions by demonstrating that strategic reduction of social presence simultaneously increases meaningful involvement and decreases counterproductive pressure. We introduce an optimal social presence threshold model enabling effective SCMC learning when connections are sufficient for interactions but reduced enough to minimise anxiety's inhibiting effects. In culturally conservative EFL contexts, reduced social presence provides culturally sensitive solutions to foreign-language anxiety while maintaining educational effectiveness, offering essential guidance for designing SCMC platforms that prioritise psychological safety alongside pedagogical goals.