In Gilleard, Hyde and Higgs paper, they discuss how English people over 50 tend to use the Internet as a substitute for geographically based community. Because of limited mobility, older people tend to connect more closely to thier geographical location over time. With the Internet being inexpensive and accessible to those that are physically limited, Gillieard states that older people are using the Internet as a means of transcending geographically bound communities.
Some of Gilleard’s findings are not that surprising to me and are perhaps improperly correlated. In one instance, Gilleard finds that the poor and less educated tend to attach themselves to their geographic community more so than those who are well educated and middle class. This finding would seem rather obvious since both money and a minimum education level are prerequisites for complex internet use and access to online communities. However to say that people are completely substituting geographic community with online community is quite misleading. I would argue that the opposite is true.
In Seattle many online communities such as West Seattle Blog actually support local identity. In a photo project I am working on about fixed gear bicycle clubs, I have found that members organize themselves online for events that happen locally. Without an online component I do not see how the fixed gear community, being especially small, would ever organize a large enough group for a regualr event. I imagine there are many other geographically based niche groups that would not exist without the community building provided by online communities.
APA Citation Regarding Community and Technology
Dhavan S. et al. 2002. Nonrecursive models of Internet use and community engagement: Questioning whether time spent online erodes social capital. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 79(4), 964. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 319151711).
In Shah’s ‘Nonrecursive models of Internet use and community engagement: Questioning whether time spent online erodes social capital’ he claims that frequency of Internet use is positively correlated with civic involvement. With increasing access to better information about political events, community events and social events, the average citizen is actually creating more social ties than those that are being eroded by online community. Shah states “Internet use may promote social interaction and civic engagement because it allows users to reinforce social bonds, gain knowledge, and coordinate their actions to address joint concerns.” It’s true that we have lost ‘face time’ in the modern world, but to lay the blame on online communities rather than other factors such as increased workloads and urban sprawl is narrow-minded. Online participation may in fact lead to renewed social connections in an increasingly fast paced world.
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