Posted by Benjamin on: 04.11.2007 /
Dick Staub and a panel of bloggers recently discussed the following fascinating question on their live radio show: Can The Inklings face-to-face pub experience be replaced with online interaction?
Various intriguing aspects related to this question arose. One that caught my attention was this: Does online interaction increase our (western, 1st world) isolation from community, from *real* others? Or does it decrease that aloneness?
Apparently there is an already large and growing body of research (for instance, check out this search on google scholar) on what is termed “computer mediated community” or CMC. Wikipedia has an interesting overview as well
“Michael Keren, who has written Blogosphere: The New Political Arena, suggests individuals who bare their souls in blogs are isolated and lonely, living in a virtual reality instead of forming real relationships or helping to change the world.” (from this provocative article).
I remember Mother Teresa talking about how while the third world has a poverty of basic stuff like food/water, the 1st world has a poverty of community. In blogging about how to MTWABP, are we somehow exacerbating our separation from each other, and our separation from those in least developed countries (for whom internet access is fairly far down the list of “things we don’t have which we’d like to get”)?
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Comment by: Julie Clawson
1 04/11/07 9:39 AM | Comment Link |I see that, but I have also encountered many people who were desperate for community and can only find it online. In the emerging church some people are very alone and could be fired from their jobs for talking about emerging stuff with most people they know. There is no local cohort or theology pub - the only place they have to go is online.
I envy the pub culture of England - the third places where discussion is possible. But how often was that available to women? Do women go for a pint and discuss literature, philosophy, and theology? Or are they as isolated and confined to the home/kids as we are in america?
Comment by: Benjamin Ady
2 04/11/07 1:58 PM | Comment Link |Julie,
You raise a good point. Megans says Australians see Americans as being obsessed with their kids. She says she discusses these three things at bus stops while waiting with her children for the bus (here’s to going down to zero cars!). She says it’s her equivalent of the well in an african village.
I think you may be right in that, perhaps, in general, Brits are more … timeful–just spending *time* together, with no rush to get to the next thing, no schedule. “Online interaction” just doesn’t feel like that. Somehow our … advanced technologies leave us with less time, at times (or so it seems).
Comment by: Julie Clawson
3 04/11/07 3:24 PM | Comment Link |at least you live where there is public transportation.
Comment by: Benjamin Ady
4 04/11/07 7:05 PM | Comment Link |ok, wow, hadn’t thought of that. Today seems to be a day filled with reminders for me of how much harder lots of other people have it. This morning I was talking with a fellow class mate who has an hour long bus commute, compared to my 20 minute one. Now I am reminded that some places simply don’t have public transportation at all. I think agent smith was right–”Human beings define their reality through misery and suffering”. I tend to be so melancholic and complaining, and see all that empty space in the glass, and so forth.
Comment by: Julie Clawson
5 04/11/07 9:26 PM | Comment Link |We live in an area that is rapidly transitioning from cornfields to cookie cutter suburbia. With all of the big new subdivisions, the county is too rich to get any aid money. so there are no public services to help those in need. A local food pantry is open two hours a week and our church runs city wide food drives for them. But the biggest need in our community for the needy is public transportation - nothing exists and its a long shot to ever think that money will be given for something like that.
Comment by: Elaine
6 04/11/07 10:30 PM | Comment Link |loneliness of technology - yes! It is true for me. For the past year, I have been self-employed, working from home. And I love it, but…
I am an extrovert, not a strong extrovert, but an extrovert. The longer I work at the computer, the slower I get…it drains my energy. Being with people, energizes me. I have had to be intentional to be sure to build in people time. I’ve joined a Tuesday night women’s group, church involvement, make lunch appointments with friends. All geared to getting me out of the house, away from the computer, and into relationship with others.
My experience indicates there is a real hunger for community. People are drawn to it, at least they are in Cincinnati, I hear people talking about wanting to live in a neighborhood where they know their neighbors, can walk to the store, library, etc. And, I’m seeing evidence of small cities constructing community gathering points. I’ve read that the education system is realizing kids do better in smaller schools where they are known. I am very passionate about community.
Technology is great, but my experience indicates it can not replace “true community”. It can supplement it - bridge the times you can’t be together. Plan meetings, etc. Have discussions, like this one. Thanks.
Comment by: Jim
7 04/12/07 1:20 AM | Comment Link |I need both. Online allows me to stay connected with people I would otherwise lose contact with and it doesnt obligate me the way face time does. Meaning I can voyeur and respond as I am able or interested.
Like Elaine if this were it for me I would freak out but as it is I have no shortage of people in my life so together they enable me to do what I love to do- introduce more people to each other
Comment by: Helen
8 04/12/07 3:02 PM | Comment Link |My favorite is face-to-face but I like the way the Internet enables me to talk with and get to know people I might never otherwise never be able to be with - because they live too far away. Ideally I’d like to meet everyone I’ve met and enjoyed online in person as well. I’ve never found that I didn’t like someone in person that I liked on the Internet. I always have liked them even more in person.
I think it can help people that on the internet they can begin to become more honest - in the safety of anonymity. If that’s as far as it goes then, that’s not good. But if it is the first step of being more themselves in all their relationships then I see that as a valuable role.
I’m not convinced the UK is really that different - I don’t think people have tons more time there to go hang out at the pub.
Comment by: Meg
9 04/13/07 10:00 PM | Comment Link |you are brilliant my husband! i think it’s real contact, on the internet, but not nearly so good as telephoning, which is not nearly so good as skyping, which is not nearly so good as in the flesh interaction…
Helen, incidentally, people in the UK have twice the paid annual leave as people in the USA to go and hang out at the pub, be timeful, water their poppies, etc.
Comment by: Rachel
10 04/14/07 7:25 AM | Comment Link |Hurray! Meg is back!