Personally, I believe that communities started changing from groups to networks well before the advent of the Internet. To begin with i think people feared that industrialization and bureaucratization would dissolve community groups and only isolated, alienated individuals would remain. Then people actually took a step back and discovered that communities continued, but more as sparsely-knit, spatially dispersed social networks rather than as densely-knit, village-like local groups. It is easy to say that the internet just isolates people from face-to-face interactions but the fact is we are just being given new opportunities to discover far-flung communities of shared interest.
After a few joyous hours of reading I have found three key sides to this debate. Some say the internet weakens community (Kraut et al. 1998; Nie and Hillygus 2002), others believe it enhances community (Wellman and Quan-Haase 2002), and others believe the internet transforms community (Barlow, 1995; Wellman 2001), believing that internet is simply changing the way people communicate rather than damaging or improving it. Networked societies are themselves changing in character. As discussed in the lecture it seems each person is now a switchboard, between ties and networks. People remain connected, but as individuals, rather than being stuck in the confines of home or work. Each person operates a separate personal community network and switches rapidly among multiple sub-networks. In effect, the Internet and other new communication technology are helping individuals to personalize their own communities. This is neither a a positive or a negative, but rather a complex, fundamental transformation in the nature of community.
Resources-
Wellman, B. and Haythornthwaite, C. (eds.) 2002. The Internet in Everyday Life. Oxford:Blackwell. In press
Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukopadhyay, T., and Scherlis, W. 1998. Internet Paradox: A Social Technology that Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well-being? American Psychologist. 53(9), p. 1017-1031.
Nie, N., Hillygus, D. S., and Erbring, L. 2002. Internet Use, Interpersonal Relations and Sociability: A Time-diary Study. In B. Wellman and C.
Haythornthwaite (eds.), The Internet in Everyday Life. Oxford:Blackwell. In press
Barlow, J. P., Birkets, S., Kelly, K., and Slouka, M. 1995. What Are We Doing On-Line?, Harper's, 291, p. 35–46.
Wellman, B. 2001. Physical Place and Cyber-Place: Changing Portals and the Rise of Networked Individualism, International Journal for Urban and Regional Research, 25(2), p. 227-252.
Wellman, B. and Haythornthwaite, C. (eds.) 2002. The Internet in Everyday Life. Oxford:Blackwell. In press
Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukopadhyay, T., and Scherlis, W. 1998. Internet Paradox: A Social Technology that Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well-being? American Psychologist. 53(9), p. 1017-1031.
Nie, N., Hillygus, D. S., and Erbring, L. 2002. Internet Use, Interpersonal Relations and Sociability: A Time-diary Study. In B. Wellman and C.
Haythornthwaite (eds.), The Internet in Everyday Life. Oxford:Blackwell. In press
Barlow, J. P., Birkets, S., Kelly, K., and Slouka, M. 1995. What Are We Doing On-Line?, Harper's, 291, p. 35–46.
Wellman, B. 2001. Physical Place and Cyber-Place: Changing Portals and the Rise of Networked Individualism, International Journal for Urban and Regional Research, 25(2), p. 227-252.
The invention of the laptop and the smart phone also revolutionized communities in a way that we are now able to access these online communities at any time pretty much from anywhere. It is amazing to think we have evolved from large switchboards to tiny microchips and I guess more innovative ideas will spring up in the years to come, because technology is growing at a fast pace. Nice Post Annie.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I can't count the amount of times i have been yelled at by my friends for going on facebook during group catch-ups. It all plays into the debate over whether this communication saturation is a positive or a negative. I guess its up to the individual whether or no they want to choose to have quality communication with friends or a large quantity of communication with virtual strangers...
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with you on this. The Internet is just a new means of communication for communities and networks that already exist.
ReplyDeleteAs with any new piece of technology, those who want to adapt will, those who don't, won't, and those who have to, learn.
I think this post raises a lot if interesting points about the changing nature of communities due to online networks however none of the literature seems to analyse the actual content of online messages and communication. I mean take Facebook for example, this platform of encourages constant engagement with your online network, but doesn't facilitate any sort of meaningful discussion. The kinds of things people post of Facebook arn't well thought out opinions that encourage debate and critical analysis, but is similar to something we're discussing in another class about living in a soundbite world...
ReplyDeleteWhile i don't think the debate should be simplified, I am recluctant to say that the internet hasn't had a negative affect on the way we communicate with each other...
This post is by me (Annie) but for some reason blogger won’t let me comment today and I don't have time for its games!! : )
ReplyDeleteI agree that Facebook doesn't encourage meaningful discussion but isn't that just a reflection of everyday life? I mean if people want to debate and critically analyse the world they will find a way but the fact is many don't and never have. This has always been the case before Facebook was around. Take university students for example, I don't know about you but I don't walk past groups of students at uni hotly debating politics, I am more likely to overhear stories of the weekend and dramatic relationship troubles and aren’t we being drilled to critically analyse etc everyday? Facebook has changed the WAY people communicate but it is just a reflection of the same topics and discussions that happen in everyday life.
Those that crave meaningful discussion will find it in the corridors of the virtual world just as they have found it in the corridors of universities.
I don't have a smartphone that makes it easier for me to access the internet, facebook or twitter. However, I do find it annoying when my friends pull out their iphones and just start updating their status on facebook. I personally find it rude.
ReplyDeleteAlso I agree with Dimi, it is so amazing how far we have come in terms of the evolution of technology. I mean we have moved from switchboards where people used to connect our calls for us, but now we have machines who do that.
Again, considering the rate at which technology is growing, do you think we would still be meeting up just for a chat or do you think this is all possible without any interaction and by just simply using technology?
very nice blogging miss moon-arkell . . . i think that the points you have addressed in this are strong and straight to the point . . . . the fact we have moved from room filled computers to the lightest laptop ever made is remarkable and the signs of it stopping are no where to be seen . . i wonder what awaits us in the next 10 years . . my theory and obsession with flying cars better come true.
ReplyDeleteAs the lines blur between the real and the virtual, actual contact still has an edge over the virtual in my opinion. It’s like real butter vs the fake “i can’t believe it’s not butter” stuff. Who wouldn’t take the real thing instead if they could? While virtual technology has some benefits, i think it’s only preferential if there’s no way you an get the real thing.
ReplyDeleteWhat you said above in response to my comment is true, a lot of what's posted on Facebook does just reflect ordinary life, but even still, it reflects it in a simplified way. Meaningful discussion doesn't have to be limited to debate about world issue, but I've never been able to meaningfully comfort a friend via Facebook about relationship troubles, nor have I ever felt that I've become closer to someone because they've commented on my wall. Perhaps I'm not getting as much out of it as other people, I just think on top of not significantly increasing quality of life, it does encourage and subsequently validates triteness.
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