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Online Communication: Group Belonging Analysis

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Positive Social Impacts of Online Communication Group Belonging Using online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter enable users to establish groups comprised of people with similar interests, values, and beliefs. These include personal stories, many different forms of entertainment, work- and school-related information, social events, and a wide variety of other social functions (Cheung et al., 2011, p. 1340). In addition to providing unique opportunities to interact in online environments, social networking also facilitates face-to-face interaction. Social networking has this impact by providing digital environments in which it is safe and comfortable for users to meet new people and establish new relationships. Social networking …show more content…

1341). This type of learning is facilitated through web 2.0 applications which include online social networks and a wide variety of new learning tools that offer opportunities for group learning (Cheung et al., 2011, p. 1341). According to Cheung et al. (2011) this enhances students’ motivation to learn because in addition to the efficiency of finding online information, social networking creates a space where students can build and maintain social capital with one another (p. 1337). In other words, social networking in academic communities creates a more group-oriented learning approach that appeals to many of today’s students (Cheung et al., 2011, p. 1341). This applies not only to school-work itself, but also to general social networks that students create when they interact face-to-face in school settings. This illustrates that online communication related to academic work is intertwined with general social information. This helps students establish friendships and, in turn, helps them become more comfortable performing academic work in collaborative settings (Subrahmanyam et al., 2008, p. …show more content…

Cyber-bullying can be broadly defined as any form of harassment or intimidation that takes place online (O’Dea & Campbell, 2012, p. 212). According to O’Dea and Campbell (2012), approximately one in three teens experience some form of cyber-bullying throughout their lives (p. 212). In their study, O’Dea and Campbell (2012) found that this number of teens (out of 400 study participants) report “multiple feelings of victimization, embarrassment, or harassment” (p. 212). One of the most significant issues with cyber-bullying is that this activity reaches a much wider audience than typical face-to-face bullying (O’Dea & Campbell, 2012, p. 212). This means that the victim of bullying may feel escalated feelings of shame and social isolation, as the person bullying can send their negative messages to as many people as he or she chooses (O’Dea & Campbell, 2012, p. 212). Cyber-bullying generally takes on two different forms: Bullying from someone who the victim knows, or from a complete stranger. O’Dea and Campbell (2012) say that online bullying can come from almost any source, given the fact that online social networks are highly open to the public (p. 212). Of course, this raises the issue of online privacy. While sites like Facebook and Twitter have privacy settings, there are very few effective measures that can fully prevent

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