Online Communities and the Individual

There has always been a push for the individual to ‘belong’ to a community, especially a democratic one where there is some point of forum for the individual to have their say… if they wish.

“The desire for strong communities as an antidote to the sense of alienation and disenfranchisement seen as characteristic of modern, industrial, capitalist societies has been a long-standing feature of discourses surrounding new technologies.” (Flew, 2004, p.64)

Something that needs to be acknowledged is the ways in which virtual cultures have dramatically changed in recent years. The reasons and purposes for individuals participating in virtual cultures has grown from a simple passive usership to more of a produsing, proactive one, relying on CMC (Computer-Mediated Communications). Participants create content to be shared in an interactive environment, rather than simply to take advantage of the convenience of email and other online products that already exist.

There have been a number of reasonable explanations as to why online communities are beneficial for the individual. Flew (2004, p.65) discusses how there are political and ideological benefits to belonging to virtual communities, as well as having positive psychological results, allowing people to interact and create identities through their membership.

In looking at the individual and their membership and participation within online communities, there are a number of alarming incidences of people becoming deceitful and seeing the “self as multiple, changeable, fragmented, in short as making a projection of its own constitution” (Flew, 2004, p.67), or as others have begun to realise, the individual can portray themselves as someone very different to their true persona. This is a very key concern with online communities, as people are able to manipulate and deceive one another, making people around them believe that they are something they are not.

As mentioned in my blog regarding teenage anorexia, there are too many impressionable teens who are able to be misled into believing something very different to the truth. Such is the example of Megan Meier, who was harassed continuously online to the point where she hanged herself at the age of 13. It is important that we are educated in the “dangers of Internet addiction, or the possibility that people become more socially isolated or depressed the more they use the Internet.” (Flew, 2004, p.68)

In other examples, many people have been able to find friendship and companionship that do not compare with those in the physical realm - and connections with people are from across the globe. I personally have a cousin that recently got married to a gentleman she met over the internet - and she is one of many.

Overall, it is important to acknowledge the uses of the internet as a creational product and a means for us to create more and interact amongst one another - whether we choose do it responsibly or not.

References

Flew, T. (2004) New Media: An Introduction. Melbourne: OUP

Zetter, K. (2007) Megan Meier Suicide Stokes The Internet Fury Machine http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/11/megan-meier-sui.html (accessed April 30, 2008)