Is the Internet destroying real life (RL) communities?

This comic strip presents the illogicality of the Internet having the capability to make a user forget how to function in real life. This strip mimics accusations made by the majority of non-Internet oriented people, in particular, the effect of spending too much time on the Internet. One should realize that the Internet is a different source of communication, communion, and community, not an entity meant to destroy or inhibit real life communities.

I believe the Internet can either be used as an extension of a real life community or be treated as a separate entity. For the most part, people that join virtual communities and online groups find that the Internet provide things real life communities lack. People that feel whole joining an online group or community would probably not be interested in a real life community. But to say that the Internet is destroying real life communities is like saying basketball is destroying football, e-mails are destroying mail, or the Playstation 3 is destroying Xbox 360. Different groups gain members based upon a person’s style, type of personality, and needs.

There is a lot of bias towards this new form of communication and community. With the Internet rapidly acquiring more capabilities, gaining more members, and forging a new form of community, people that are not acclimated to it will tend to discredit it. Nessim Watson acknowledges that “people in the offline world tend to see online communities as virtual, but… participants in the online communities see them as quite real” (Watson 129). With this discrepancy amongst the offline world, it will be difficult for people in real life communities to understand that the Internet is not an entity inhibiting or destroying real life communities, but rather a new form of communication and communion. Often times, people may feel the Internet is a better source of community because it removes some of the thresholds of real life communities, such as physical appearance, geographical location, and transportation. Ultimately, the Internet is not destroying real life communities, but rather attracting a different group of people.

Works Cited

Watson, Nessim. "Why We Argue About Virtual Community: A Case Study of the Phish.Net Fan Community." Virtual Culture: Identity and Communication in Cybersociety. Ed. Steve Jones. London: Sage Publications, 1997. 102-32.

Sansom, Chip. "The Born Loser." Comic strip. Comics.com. 14 Jan. 2000. 13 Sept. 2009 .