The idea of online 'virtual' communities unnerves me abit. The idea that people have a life on computer but in reality you are just sat on your own at a computer is quite worrying. That people can live a virtual life but in reality be completely on their own. I think it would be hard to maintain a sufficent relationship with someone that you cannot see. I feel online comunities are for people who find it hard to communicate with people in the rea world and so live in online community.
The fact people are sharing online conversations and living in an online community in which they have never actually met the person they are talking to gives a false sense that you now the person you are talking to however online you can claim whatever kind of identity you want.
However a virtual community could also be seen as alot of people watching a form of media for example when the world cup is on and aot of people are gathered infromt of their t.v to view it.
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I agree with what you say Laura. I think social networkign and virtual communities can be good for keeping in contact with friends from home and people you don;t get to see, but for many people it's almost as if physical communication and actually meeting up with people has been replaced with the internet. I can understand why people find it easier to use the internet to communicate with some people, if they have confidence issues or are shy, but using virtual communities as your a main form of communication is a little bit..not good. I agree with the creating false identities comment you made, as online, where the person you are talking to can neither hear your actual vouce or physically see you, its easy to alter your personality and pretend yo are someone you are not.
ReplyDeleteI do think the internet can help though, to fill in communication with boyfriends/girlifriends/friends and family between phone calls and seeing them, but int he long run, on its own, the internet and virtual communication isn't enough, it isnt suffiecient enough.
With the raise of social networking sites, large co-operations have started looking for potential employees on sites like MySpace and Facebook based on what their profile looks like or what kind of profile pictures they have. Do you think that this creates an unfair advantage as based on face to face interviews or does this method give the employer a more truthful image of the potential employee? And lastly should social networking sites be used in this respect?
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