Bad and Good in the Virtual World!

On virtual community

The advent of modern technology brings gigantic change in our human history of living, lifestyle, way of life, may it be attitudinal or ideological to the reality that it affects us all. However, may it be with awareness or not, the fact leaves us print that it does paradigm shift in our lives inevitably. Today, our physical world is entangling with a bigger and ever expanding virtual world which transcends more and more our geographical limitation. It goes beyond what we expect throughout the past millennium, century, decade, year and day. Furthermore, the highly modernized technology creates exquisite development on our civilization and a concrete example of this is our technology at present that caters tremendous changes in our day-to-day life which plunged us into wires of virtual connection. Everybody is flocking towards it as they go with the flow of civilization galvanize with the ever fast technological revolution. Inescapably this phenomenon is the fruit of scientific endeavors in the line of technological growth that which helps us to systematize human life's style and make it creative and productive according to its covered ranged. With this applicable cause, we got caught to the fact that technology is an extravagant life-alleviating.

 

Let us go back to our very own experiences and wonder on the impact of technology about particular aspect we are in right now. In our lifestyle, way of thinking, perception etc… whether we like it or not, it does change us! Some realization in this regard claimed that it changes the way we communicate and indeed it is so blatant wherever we may go. For example, before, we do talking face-to-face and this truly needs more time and energy in the agents' side but now we can have video call on Facebook, Twitter, etc… by means of the internet which makes things run smooth and easy as we connect to our friends, family, business partners etc.... On the other side of the coin, or if we try to look at the bigger picture, it also changes the community so fast and even creates new community beyond the borders. This is now called virtual community which only exist because of the internet. At first, to think of a virtual community is neither possible nor achievable but then today's modern world offers this to us. Yes, it is! Out of the high technology, a new breed of community is given birth, and the existence of this virtual world opens the floodgates of opportunities, one of these is the so-called virtual communities. This is strengthened, developed, and even very inviting in our present time because of the advent of continuously upgraded social media and is maintained online. It has opened up yet another portal of seeing and being seen, for knowing and being known, for being in and belonging to community. Indeed, it is a phenomenon that we need to be attuned according to the signs of times; however, it is fitting to spark a fire in the midst to clarify things in its content on both dark and bright sides.

Today, if we talk about communities, some of which are considered as extensions of the physical communities and what we are pointing here is the realm of virtual world. In the article which I've came across it defined a complementary virtual community which is created, gathered, developed, and sustained exclusively online. Accordingly, as long as there is these time and energy that put into quality interaction and shared interest and concerns, no matter where they are located, it makes a group of individuals a community. In addition, it claims that true communities are those whose members stay connected and are mutually supportive from the flow of interactions over the period of time. Indeed, with these setting we are able to economize our time and energy, however, a balance perspective will give as good grasp of our situation today. As a respond to it we better take a look into the framework and examine.

The author of the article claims that virtual community is real. As I tried to read and reflect on its arguments and presented proposition, it made me react on certain aspects which the author did not consider just like for example the negative side which engulfs some important element on what it is being a family and community. First, virtual community, as it is claimed, is only maintained online exclusively. The situation is still problematic since without the internet connection communication is impossible and thus this virtual community showcase dependency to the web created. Second, anybody may share the same experience online and discussion as well, moreover if we try to scrutinize the participant's authenticity we cannot guarantee a hundred percent truthfulness coming from the very being of its self because chances are discussions and sharing insights may fall only on the head level. In addition, perhaps some may just fabricate stories and this calls the benefit of doubt. Third, for example, the person whom you met at the virtual community has lest intimacy in the real score of life. They may notice your words but not in the way you feel and this is the concrete reason why it is difficult for them to empathize. Moreover this is in the context of case to case bases, however, in the virtual world there is only one way traffic at times because of dependency to be on in the internet.

It is important to clarify how we define and view "Real". Perhaps, what is real in the virtual world is an illusion most particularly in the physical world. And, if so happen that we are able to distinguish what is real and illusion, if there is, how we are going to reconcile the differences and gaps between two worlds?  As I have mentioned above, the physical world is entangled with virtual world and either we like it or not the world's direction is flowing towards it.  

Personally, I do appreciate the benefits that we are harvesting today with this virtual world because it also serves as our portal to connect throughout the whole world. Communication becomes easy and faster than before. It creates another dimension that plot as the one ever expanding avenue for the people to meet and discover. However, together with tremendous advantages it carries the shadow of disadvantages that slowly kills the good values, cultures, privacy etc… of individual community. The author of the book considered the virtual communities as real because of the criterion that they shared common interest and concerns, however, these bases of viewing what is real is problematic and some of the critiques are the following: A virtual community varies according to its dimensional context such as business, relational, and religious communities etc… online. Its members are coming from different parts of the world and are located in different nations with different cultures, and norms etc… which shares (for example the religious communities online) ideas like inspirational words as they are entitle of this spiritual need. All of these have no grounds in real life if those agents to whom you connect cannot help you out in day-to-day life!

The life-blood of this community is the presence of the spiritual or inspirational need of the contingent looking for possible answer and this need discussion among the group via online dimension. If one or more members cannot connect to the internet, this virtual community will also be paralyzed because it is dependent to the attendance of the members considering the fact that they are in different situations and perhaps time frame as well. Those whom they encounter in the virtual world truly may cause also damage of reputation, dignity, career etc… and the sad thing is that people they may encounter coming from different places in the online group has no existential bearing in one's life unless if the agent knows that person personally.

If we take extremely this virtual community into our lives this would cause us to escape from the reality of our life. Chances are we might give more time and focus to the virtual community while we give less attention to what is happening around us in the physical world. Mostly we are caught by it with unawareness just like for example, if you invest to much this virtual community with your time and energy and in the end all you have are but no help in the real life's situation especially if it takes physical presence.