Virtual Communities..

I personally want to add that there are a few differences between virtual communities and experiences with people in person; some are positive and some are negative. On the negative side in the “virtual” world I believe that people are less affable. Their main concerns seem to be focused on their own personal appearance solely. Sometimes, without wanting to admit, I feel like it’s a joke. Like it’s a fake identity. Sometimes people say things about themselves on these websites that aren’t necessarily true. It is a way for people to release their insecurities in a different way; make themselves feel better about their appearance.Websites like “facebook” and “myspace” are good examples; text messaging/e-mail are good sources for these opinions as well. These websites allow you freely to display of yourself as you wish. These are social networks based on the friends you choose and the pictures and responses or post/comments on other’s pages; sloppy way to build other’s esteem.

On the other hand in some ways these sites may be affective. They allow one to express themselves in ways that they would not in person, or even as simple as shouting a quick hello, without spending the time with the person on the telephone. It’s good while multi-tasking J I know from personal experiences that I have sent e mails or other meaningful pieces of opinion to friends that I would not deliver in person. Thankfully I got the subject on paper right? So, the question that arises in my mind is that. “Is it done this way because it’s easier to be less amiable? Are we avoiding responsibility of some of our feelings towards other people? Is this type of community actually successful? To answer these questions I want to say that all of them are possible, depending on the person. In small form, it is good that we can rely on another form of communication to get our points across, but there is one downfall to that.

On the other hand, we are avoiding confrontation in person, once again resorting to an easier outlet. Sometimes, seeing people’s facial expressions in person help us understand more. We actually learn about people because of how they react to situations. Virtual communities cannot show us those expressions. I don’t really think virtual communities pertain to one’s goals or actions in real life. However, I do think that it effects our opinions on certain people based on how they present themselves online.

My internet life did not begin until my senior year in high school. In fact, I had an e-mail address before that, but never used it. In a way, I was behind the social network. Shorthand since has become more popular. I think it effects people differently. I do not think it effects the human spirit. If I saw a helpless person in need, a child’s cry, or death, I would not react to the situation differently because of my time spent lifelessly on the internet. I do not believe social networking and text messaging defies one’s true spirit; it is not vital to the environment. Think of it simply as part of an activity in today’s society, like watching television.