The Virtual Community

If we look back to the time times of the Dark Ages in Europe, cultural progression was stunted by deadly diseases and economic disarray across the continent. It wasn’t until the Renaissance, a golden age of rebuilding in Europe, that ideas of change and and prosperity began to flourish. This period of time saw huge advancements in science, art, and literature across the world. Today, hundreds of years later, we are currently in a golden age led by social media. Names like Facebook, Instagram, and

Modern information technology has developed a way for people to receive support from others. Online social support is expanding as the general public begins to feel comfortable using online social groups to seek support from others. Online social groups have extensive benefits for users who are not able to or do not desire to attend face-to-face communication support. These groups have emerged within health care as a result of individuals’ needs. These individuals need to know more about their health

People are social creates. We thrive in a world of relationships. This is why social support and emotional health are correlated. Support is a very large part of people’s lives. However is our society today fit for social support? Social media has taken our sociality to a new level of connection. In some way we are closer than we ever been but in other ways we have lost that social support. This can affect the emotional health of people it great ways. First is the biggest impact that social media

When looking at how online forums effects civility, Papacharisssi (2011) suggest viewing technology as an architecture which blurs the line between public and private spaces. Online discussions merge the social, cultural, political, and economical into merging yet fragmented spaces. With this framework, the presents of civility or incivility should be viewed as a dependent of the context of the topic and website (Coe et. al., 2014; Herbst, 2010). Reader (2012) argues that incivility may be a reflection

place full of exposure to the cruelty of harsh harassment from peers, better known as cyberbullying. But with most negatives comes a positive and the internet seems to be one of negatives that come with a positive feature as well. These online communities are good sources for teenagers because of the encouragement they give teens to expand their variety of friends while exploring and learning the necessity of a healthy relationship. In all of the articles, “Teenagers Leading Happy, Connected Lives

are a few apps that provide options that allow children to approach identity formation more thoughtfully (Parry). While extensive use of social media can isolate children and adolescents from their societies, Parry states that there are online communities that provide children and teens with self-disclosure and a feeling of belonging. Social media also serves as a good source of news information. It allows the youth to stay tuned into the things that are going on in the world around them, both online

In Rushkoff’s film, The Merchants of Cool, he rhetorically questions if “teenagers even have a culture to call distinctly their own.” In the late 1990’s when the documentary was made, the implication was that they do not. However, with the internet’s advancements and the accessibility of communication with massive amounts of people, teenagers today can form authentic cultures that are not contaminated by the corporate media. When the documentary was produced, media exposure was limited to private

The Oxford dictionary defines privacy as the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people (2017). It should not come as a surprise that websites designed to share pictures, ideas, and what is for dinner, leave individuals feeling that their privacy has been invaded. It is also not surprising that some people are oblivious to the effects of what they post online. It is safe to say the loss of privacy can be self-imposed for societies need to collaborate and socialized

Community media is often depicted as idyllic representing the quant small-town newspaper. In many ways it represents classic Americana similar to the images in a Norman Rockwell painting. These representations, however, do not necessarily include digital communities that form using social media. Instead of communities of place, online communities will often revolve around interests; and some of those interests are far outside the mainstream. This paper seeks to study one specific group that has formed

Introduction Online communities can offer a unique experience to everyone. I cannot exactly say I have much experience in an online community. The only interaction I have had in an online community is an online book forum I had joined during high school where we discussed a particular book I had really enjoyed reading. Unfortunately, I personally did not know anyone else who had read that particular book and I had really wanted to discuss that book with someone one, and so I decided to join the online