Has the virtual community shredded the community culture?
I regularly podcast Studio 360 on NPR. I think that it is a great program. Studio 360 has brought me to all sorts of cultural "tidbits" that I never would have heard of had I not listened. Last week I was listening to an interview with George Dawes Green about his new book. You can hear it here. I must say that I have never read any of Mr. Green's work so I can't say that I am familiar with his themes etc but I thought that his interview was interesting. This is not going to be about his book though, well I don't think so as I have not read the book to know if it touches on the theme of this post, but rather about actual community vs. virtual community.
In the interview, he said (and I am paraphrasing) that the internet, Twitter, Facebook etc. have led to the loss of community culture. That people are no longer on their porches hanging out, sharing their lives and telling stories. He says that the using the internet has kept us in our homes and away from each other, away from books and culture. That the internet has led to "the shredding of the American conscious." Now, I don't really agree with this. I do agree that we have lost a lot of the connection with our local neighbors and the community in and around us, but I think that we are not hermits, sitting in our dark rooms in front of the blue computer screen and ignoring the outside world either.
I am one to stay inside and hermit. I'll admit it freely. As much as I'd like to be, I am not a big outdoor person. But I have not totally forgone my community either. I have a great relationship with our neighbors. We watch their kids and they watch ours. We cook out and hangout as our schedules will allow. I know quite a few of the people on my little street and enjoy seeing them and knowing that they are safe. Each year there is a fair in the community next to ours and we go and have fun. It is this weekend and I plan to be there bright and early Saturday morning. Nobody is going to confuse me as a community organizer, but they can't call me Boo Radley either.
While I agree with Mr. Green that the actual community is in danger. I know there is room for community culture to be "worked" on, but I don't think that the virtual community has shredded the "community". I think what has happened is that I, as well as my virtual community friends, have looked for community in a new way. Staying at home with my 2 year old during the day has been wonderful. I get to be there for him as he needs and I am able to save a bundle on day care. I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. There is only so much Noggin and conversation that one can have with a 2 year old before you long for grown up conversation. For me, this is where Facebook and Twitter come in.
I joined both Facebook and Twitter at the request of wonderful college friends who are no where near me. I looked at it as a way to keep up with them on a day to day basis. We have been friends since 1989 and while it never seems like we have spent any time away from each other when we do gather, it is wonderful to know the joys and upsets of their everyday lives as well as the big events. As I slowly gained knowledge of Facebook and Twitter though, I found not only what was happening in the lives of those I knew but the lives of those that I met while on-line.
Facebook has allowed me to connect with high school and college friends that I would normally not have the time to connect with on the same level. My high school 20th reunion was this past summer and because of the connections on Facebook, I actually went to the reunion. After graduating, I went off to college and didn't really look back for those that I had spent my days with, who I saw everyday at school in the hallways. But Facebook gave me a chance to see and remember them again and to realize that I still had thoughts and connections to them, however faint they may be. This time when I went back home, I went not just to see my family but also my friends that I had lost contact with. It was terrific to see them, their children and to catch up on the last 20 years of their lives. I have quite a few family members on Facebook as well. We can share pictures of our children and updates on what is going on in ways that we don't do due to distance. Through this glimpse into the day to day, I feel like I can stay connected to them from 1000 miles away.
Twitter, by contrast, has allowed me to meet a whole group of people that I would NEVER have met. For the longest I did not "get" Twitter. I had a couple of friends who I followed and tweeted the random and boring events of my days, but what I hadn't learned yet was that Twitter works best when you interact with other users. As more users found me, I began to interact with them and have made friends along the way. Cody and I have shared chocolate cake, literally. I tweeted about a cake I had made and he dared me to send him some. You can read about it here on his blog. Gayle asked for some help making posters for her daughter and I was glad to help. Not only was I able to help her out, but it gave me something fun to do along with the chance to learn something new. Melissa and I enjoy our shared stories of our children as well as music. I am able to keep up on local news through an Editor of the News Journal. Jillian and I shared recipes and t-shirts. Through the music site blip.fm, I have met even more Twitter folks and we share our love of music as well as friendship. I have "Twitter friends" from across town to across the world and these folks just highlight a few. People share themselves with total strangers everyday and the beautiful part is, when that sharing and interaction occurs, strangers become friends.
Now, I may never meet these people. I would hope that one day it will be possible. To meet them and share face to face would be terrific but I won't be sad if I don't because I have already met them in our virtual community. I sit on my porch and chat with them as I would with my neighbors. I know what their children are up to, who has trouble at home or work and who needs a virtual hug. We have developed a new community and I am very glad to be apart of it. I personally don't think that community culture has been shredded. I think that a new one has begun to emerge and I am glad for it's growth.
In the interview, he said (and I am paraphrasing) that the internet, Twitter, Facebook etc. have led to the loss of community culture. That people are no longer on their porches hanging out, sharing their lives and telling stories. He says that the using the internet has kept us in our homes and away from each other, away from books and culture. That the internet has led to "the shredding of the American conscious." Now, I don't really agree with this. I do agree that we have lost a lot of the connection with our local neighbors and the community in and around us, but I think that we are not hermits, sitting in our dark rooms in front of the blue computer screen and ignoring the outside world either.
I am one to stay inside and hermit. I'll admit it freely. As much as I'd like to be, I am not a big outdoor person. But I have not totally forgone my community either. I have a great relationship with our neighbors. We watch their kids and they watch ours. We cook out and hangout as our schedules will allow. I know quite a few of the people on my little street and enjoy seeing them and knowing that they are safe. Each year there is a fair in the community next to ours and we go and have fun. It is this weekend and I plan to be there bright and early Saturday morning. Nobody is going to confuse me as a community organizer, but they can't call me Boo Radley either.
While I agree with Mr. Green that the actual community is in danger. I know there is room for community culture to be "worked" on, but I don't think that the virtual community has shredded the "community". I think what has happened is that I, as well as my virtual community friends, have looked for community in a new way. Staying at home with my 2 year old during the day has been wonderful. I get to be there for him as he needs and I am able to save a bundle on day care. I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. There is only so much Noggin and conversation that one can have with a 2 year old before you long for grown up conversation. For me, this is where Facebook and Twitter come in.
I joined both Facebook and Twitter at the request of wonderful college friends who are no where near me. I looked at it as a way to keep up with them on a day to day basis. We have been friends since 1989 and while it never seems like we have spent any time away from each other when we do gather, it is wonderful to know the joys and upsets of their everyday lives as well as the big events. As I slowly gained knowledge of Facebook and Twitter though, I found not only what was happening in the lives of those I knew but the lives of those that I met while on-line.
Facebook has allowed me to connect with high school and college friends that I would normally not have the time to connect with on the same level. My high school 20th reunion was this past summer and because of the connections on Facebook, I actually went to the reunion. After graduating, I went off to college and didn't really look back for those that I had spent my days with, who I saw everyday at school in the hallways. But Facebook gave me a chance to see and remember them again and to realize that I still had thoughts and connections to them, however faint they may be. This time when I went back home, I went not just to see my family but also my friends that I had lost contact with. It was terrific to see them, their children and to catch up on the last 20 years of their lives. I have quite a few family members on Facebook as well. We can share pictures of our children and updates on what is going on in ways that we don't do due to distance. Through this glimpse into the day to day, I feel like I can stay connected to them from 1000 miles away.
Twitter, by contrast, has allowed me to meet a whole group of people that I would NEVER have met. For the longest I did not "get" Twitter. I had a couple of friends who I followed and tweeted the random and boring events of my days, but what I hadn't learned yet was that Twitter works best when you interact with other users. As more users found me, I began to interact with them and have made friends along the way. Cody and I have shared chocolate cake, literally. I tweeted about a cake I had made and he dared me to send him some. You can read about it here on his blog. Gayle asked for some help making posters for her daughter and I was glad to help. Not only was I able to help her out, but it gave me something fun to do along with the chance to learn something new. Melissa and I enjoy our shared stories of our children as well as music. I am able to keep up on local news through an Editor of the News Journal. Jillian and I shared recipes and t-shirts. Through the music site blip.fm, I have met even more Twitter folks and we share our love of music as well as friendship. I have "Twitter friends" from across town to across the world and these folks just highlight a few. People share themselves with total strangers everyday and the beautiful part is, when that sharing and interaction occurs, strangers become friends.
Now, I may never meet these people. I would hope that one day it will be possible. To meet them and share face to face would be terrific but I won't be sad if I don't because I have already met them in our virtual community. I sit on my porch and chat with them as I would with my neighbors. I know what their children are up to, who has trouble at home or work and who needs a virtual hug. We have developed a new community and I am very glad to be apart of it. I personally don't think that community culture has been shredded. I think that a new one has begun to emerge and I am glad for it's growth.