Does technology provide the
components and requirements to make successful communities?
A community is defined as “a group
of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in
common” or “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common
attitudes, interests, and goals.” Those definitions are also applicable to the
online world.
In the case of the first
definition, the place people live in would be on the Internet and the different
social networking platforms. As far as
sharing common interests and goals, these are evident online in a variety of
instances: petitions, groups/pages, forums, gaming, etc.
The Internet enables a significant
amount of connectivity between users and provides countless different ways to
interact. You can keep in touch with your family and friends as well as meet
new people. You can broadcast yourself live and watch others in real time too.
You can access educational content online to increase your knowledge, purchase
items, discover music, and express support or disapproval by leaving reviews,
comments, liking, and following.
On the other hand, you could argue
that the online world is incapable of simulating physical interactions.
However, you could also argue that it is not true, if you look at in a virtual
world sense. For instance, maybe you can love someone you met online, but you
cannot marry them or have kids can you? Well, sites such as Second Life do allow such interactions,
virtually. Online role-playing is the answer to that component of a community. Obviously,
the Internet is a very different place from our actual reality, but it
definitely allows for us to build communities.
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