Concepts And Impact Of Digital Communication On Identities: Virtual Communities

Question 1

Boelstorff

Answer 1

• Discusses the virtual community website ‘Second Life’ This forum allowed people to create Avatars meaning they could completely change their age, gender, class identities and appearance - This helped break down barriers to then connect with others.
• However some controversies were abuse of this anonymity e.g. raping or abusing other members of the virtual communty site - Showing that the internet is difficult to police.

Question 2

Carter

Answer 2

• explored the ways in which digital forms of communication are used in creating and maintaining relationships in an increasingly globalised context
• individuals in cyber city invest as much effort in maintaining online relationships as they do in social spaces
• found: people who meet online often continue these friendships in their offline lives by meeting in person, cyberspace is becoming increasingly embedded in people’s everyday lives, carters research supports the idea that we now live in a global village, as cybercity demonstrates how digital communication allows people to meet others with similar interests
• highlights how virtual communities facilitate the formation and maintenance of social relationships in a globalised world, blurring the lines between online and offline interactions and supporting the notion of a global village where people are interconnected through digital communication