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The positive behavioural effects for users involved in virtual communities focus centrally on the intrinsic benefits that are derived from any form of social interaction, be it online or otherwise. This is recognized by Terry Flew, who recognizes the importance of virtual communities in building social networks and, therefore, creating social capital. (Flew, 2005, p.62) Human connection is often seen as beneficial, and virtual communities are perceived to be uniting like minded, geographically dispersed individuals. (Hagel and Armstrong, 1997) Even in the early developments of digital environments, users recognized and employed the social affordances of digital networks to organize, support and communicate. (Rheingold, 1993)
When Howard Rheingold coined the term ‘virtual community’ in 1991, he predicted the great extent to which virtual communications would effect future communications. He stated, “people in virtual communities use words as screens to exchange pleasantries and argue, engage in intellectual discourse, conduct commerce, exchange knowledge, share emotional support, make plans, brainstorm, gossip, feud, fall in love, find friends and lose them, play games, flirt, create a little high art, and a lot of idle talk.�? Much of this particular prediction has come to pass with the discourse of virtual communities reflecting that of any other community.
Involvement in virtual communities has now been attributed to social openness, with members feeling a “consciousness of kin�? (Wellman and Gulia, 1999), described as an intrinsic connection toward other members. The interpersonal ties shared by virtual community members have also been shown to increase the willingness to share information and resources with others. (Walther, 1996, p.36) This demonstrates how the use of online communication can break a sense of isolation for many users.
The necessity of social interaction within human society is highlighted by Nigel Nicholson when he declares that, “People crave social interaction. They will always need contexts in which they can work and interact.�? Virtual communities offer another medium, one which is becoming evermore readily available, to offer human interaction. (Nicholson, 2000) It is understood that there is a “necessity of close relationships for well-being and effective functioning�? (Diener, 2004, p.1) Bradburn (1969) found that ‘social relationships were one of the strongest correlates of positive emotions’. With later findings indicating ‘social connectedness and support are associated with better levels of autonomic activity, better immunosurveillance, and lower basal levels of stress hormones.’ (Uchino et al., 1996) This reveals the positive behavioural effects that human interaction, and therefore virtual communities, can have on users.
Bradburn, N. (1969) “The structure of psychological well-being�?. Chicago: Aldine.
Diener, E. (2004) “The nonobvious social psychology of happiness�?, Annual Review of Psychology, 54: 277 – 295.
Flew, T. (2005) “New media: an introduction, 2nd ed.�?. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0195550412.
Hagel, J., Armstrong, A. (1997) “Net gain: expanding markets through virtual communities�?. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Rheingold, H. (1991) “A slice of life in my virtual community�?. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Rheingold, H.(1993) “The virtual community: home-steading on the electronic frontier�?. New York: Harper Collins.
Uchino, B. N., Cacioppo, J. T., & Kiecold-Glaser, J.K. (1996) “The relationship between social support and physiological processes: A review with emphasis on underlying mechanisms and implications for health.�? Psychological Bulletin, 119: 488-531.
Walther, J.B. (1996) “Computer-mediated communication: impersonal, interpersonal and hyperpersonal interaction�?, Communication Research, 23 (1): 36.
Wellman, B., Gulia, M. (1999) “Net-surfers don’t ride alone: virtual communities as communities�? Networks in the Global Village, Boulder: Westview Press.
--Dominic Jarvis 15:06, 27 Sep 2005 (EST)
