Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Pros and Cons of Online Communities

After working on our Ethnography projects in class, and studying the behavior of different online communities, it came to my attention that the Internet can help us and yet hurt us as well. 


There are many pros to online communities that I found such as: the usual need for belonging is met; people have a place where they can go when they want to escape reality; Anyone can find a group online where they can share and talk about the same interest; and people do not have to be ashamed of an "obsession" for a particular topic that they have because there are millions of people online that can have the same interest. Online communities provide a safe and effective way for people to communicate with others outside of their everyday acquaintances and learn more from their peers about their specific interests.

HOWEVER

Online communities can have their drawbacks. It seems that online communities can become addictive, and this can be a part of the Internet Addiction epidemic.
"Some Internet users may develop an emotional attachment to on-line friends and activities they create on their computer screens. Internet users may enjoy aspects of the Internet that allow them to meet, socialize, and exchange ideas through the use of chat rooms, social networking sites, or "virtual communities." Other Internet users spend endless hours researching topics of interest online or 'blogging'"
So, even what I am doing right now is part of an online community that can become addicting to some people. Social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Snap chat can be addicting. I of course don't have that problem. I only check my social media accounts about 100 times in one hour. 

Online communities can be fun and can help people connect and branch out, but depending on how much time someone spends in this online community the results can be a bit more serious. People can spend so much time in their virtual lives that they don't focus on what is happening around them in their everyday lives. They can lose interest in other things because of these online communities that are so welcoming to them and their particular interests. It can be a dangerous game.

What do you guys think? Thoughts on online communities? Internet Addiction?

Monday, May 2, 2016

The Bystander Effect Online

After reading the article, Online Abuse: we need Good Samaritans on the web, I was awakened to the reality of how the Internet is making people less sympathetic or empathetic, and people are sharing or posting things without the realization of how it could affect someone's life. 

I'm sure we have all seen a video of people fighting, people getting hurt, people being taken advantage of, and many other horrendous videos of violence, and yet...we do nothing

Does this relate back to the fact that we believe we are safe on the web, behind a screen? 
Are we so desensitized by online personas, that we do not view these people as people anymore? 

In the article, Carrie Rentschler mentions #JadaPose. A horrific instance of how people do not do anything when they see horrible acts online. They don't feel it is their responsibility? They don't feel the realness of the situation? The fact that people can reenact the pose of a woman who was passed out and sexually abused, making it almost seem like a joke, is an awful step for human-kind. 

Even in the "real world" people take out their phones when something happens on the streets. They have to record every instance and post it on social media to go "viral." In these moments, it seems that the Internet is ridding humans of their compassion. Media is making it easier to avoid the actual problem, and they believe by sharing it, that it is enough on their part. 

We need to stand up when we see cyber-bullying, or when we see things that are just not okay. The Internet has a lot of good, and it has helped a lot of people...but it could be desensitizing us of our basic human compassion. Whether people are creating the violence, take out their phones to record the acts of violence, or share violence and make fun of the victims on social media, they're all at fault.

We need to regain the human compassion that I hope was even there to begin with.