Online interactions have positive effects for real-life communities - Workplace Wellness Blog by Wellergize



Blog Overview Blogger Profiles Event Calendar You can also visit our other sites: EmployeeWellness.ca WellnessFair.ca Workplace Wellness Info on NaturalHealthcare.ca	\| Share: \| more Online interactions have positive effects for real-life communities A study on online interactions reveals the intersection between online communication and the offline world form two halves of a support mechanism for communities. According to two University of Illinois professors, Caroline Haythornthwaite and Lori Kendall who study computer-mediated communication and the Internet, most people have the idea that Facebook, Twitter and other social networking web sites are used for personal use only . Haythornthwaite and Kendall state there are positive outcomes that come from online interactions and not only to the individual but there are benefits to real-life and place-based communities. They also stated that online communication and the offline world form two halves of a support mechanism for communities. Before, studies focused solely on online-only experiences. The Internet was considered a separate realm, it was not seen as a serious avenue for work or business. However, as the number of Internet users increases, the online world and the offline world intertwines with everyday life. As a result of this a brilliant and very important communication and information portal has been created. Online communication is a way to build and strengthen local relationships and local identities that build networks of interacting individuals who are aware of each other, says Haythornthwaite. From social networking, to civic participation, to community support during emergencies, to providing on-the-ground information in disaster areas, the professors say that the rapid development and widespread use of online technologies – for communicating and networking, for contributing and distributing content, and for storing, sharing and retrieving files – are creating ties that bind for offline communities. On the other hand, people who want to research information about a particular topic may find and build new, non-local relationships as well. They may also become part of a specific culture when they interact with those individuals. Creating web pages has also become a cheaper alternative to traditional publishing, making it even easier to share information about various topics. Kendall states that when you are online you can easily ignore opinions that you do not agree with, however when you are offline you get involved with your local community and network leaving it difficult to deal with identities, experiences, and opinion. “To a certain degree, all communities are ‘imagined communities’ – that is, our sense of being part of a community is always something we must create in ourselves, and it often occurs through media.” Posted by: suhujitha on 2010-04-20 12:17:28 Subscribe to the feed Direct Link to this post Next post: The role of laughter in group dynamics 2010-08-28 16:19:29 Other posts tagged communication, social networking, coworkers: · [Do social networks increase happiness in the workplace?] · [Being the new employee in an economic downturn] · [Addicted to networking at workplace?] · [Screening out undesirable employees] · [Social networking increasingly part of the workplace environment] · [When it comes to the workplace, singles and only-children do not mix] · [Workplace friendships: a mixed blessing for employers, employees] · [Companies respond differently to increasing use of social networks] · [Texting lingo shows up at office] · [Best workplace list] Don't forget: there is a search box on every page! 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