"Personal Connections in the Digital Age" : Chapter Four [Post #3]

For me, Baym's discussion of the concept of online communities through Chapter Four, "Communities and Networks" was really thought-provoking. Most of the debate that many of us have discussed in our blog posts so far has revolved around questions of reality: what constitutes as real, what makes a relationship, and where do we draw the line between tangible and digital reality?

The idea of online communities adds a whole other dynamic to this discussion. Most people would argue that the truest, realest, most effective relationships in our lives involve face-to-face interaction, physical contact, etc. I would even argue that this is a common standpoint for the social media addicts among us. But I think the real question is, does any of that really matter when it comes to interacting within an online community? I feel like if someone is actively choosing to participate in an online community, they're doing so for a reason. I can't speak from experience, but something tells me these people join these online communities for the exact level of interaction that they provide. For example, support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Weight Watchers online revolve around such sensitive topics that members might like the idea of being able to interact with others, gain comfort from these interactions, and become part of a community that doesn't necessarily push to a level of intimacy that meeting in person might push. Either way, these people have the choice of which kind of community they want to be a part of for their personal experiences and needs.

Along the same lines, people part of more casual, social online communities might also be looking for this somewhat limited interaction. For example, kids playing on Xbox or YouTubers posting their vlogs can interact with other members of their communities, and gain exactly what they're looking for on that particular platform: whether it be someone to play a casual game with and maybe chat with briefly, or someone that subscribes to their YouTube channel and comments on their videos. More importantly, they gain all of this without the pressure of forming a deeper, more personal relationship with the other person.