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In my ongoing series on Online Communities, I will be taking a detailed look into the phenomenon that is known as the Online Community; what it is, and what the Good, the Bad and the Ugly sides of it are. I shall also be looking at the trends and what its implications are for Global and Local Societies and Industries.

In Part 1, I took a look at the premise behind Online Communities, and what the inherent need was that created these Virtual Societies.

In Part 2, I took a look at the Good Side of Online Communities, and what benefits these Online Communes have brought to the society. .

This week I will take a look at the Bad and the Ugly side of Online Communities, and how there needs to be a balance in order to fully utilize the opportunities that Online Communities lend to us.

The Bad…!

Core users of websites such as Orkut and Facebook target the users mostly via the social networking angle; and their user base is predictably made up of a huge cross section of youth and teenagers. Although this is not bad on its own, it does take away a lot of what the young can potentially achieve if they were to put in their time to other pursuits. Physiologically, this can often lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which is never recommended for the young. The said sedentary lifestyle, can in turn lead to physical issues such as obesity, and that in turn can have long term health disadvantages.

More so, overindulgence on the said social networking can lead away from the real key to human survival: actually physical interaction. Talking to someone face to face, getting to know their behavior patterns and likes and dislikes and exposure to real interactions are vital for the development of young minds. Whereas online communities offer a level of virtual interaction, they are likely to leave a gaping hole in the mental development and the psychology of young users, and may leave them unprepared when the time comes for them to venture into the real world for real interactions. The inability to understand people and communicate with them physically can leave lasting mental scars on those most impressionable.

Psychologically, this may lead to some users to constantly start taking refuge in virtual communities from the real world where they don’t fit in (or so they perceive). As an after effect of the over use of the virtual networks in the above instance, and otherwise, a sense of addiction may even develop. Since this is a technology that is ever dynamic and never ending, impressionable users may start spending more and more time with it, simply because they can’t realize what else to do and because they have too much time. Before even they realize, they could end up spending every waking minute on an online community instead of some pertinent activity. This could lead to insomnia, depression and anxiety; apart from a general lethargy and the decrease in the level of performance in studies and other areas. Because of these reasons, it is vital for users to strike a balance between using and utilizing the technology and ability of online communities, and over using them and losing focus as a result.

The Ugly…!

In earlier parts I spoke on how the anonymity factor can help, but like all thing, it has its bad side too. For one, it can allow users to pretend to be someone else when conversing in social networking communities. Other users can be misinformed, and subsequently great misfortune can occur. There have been many documented cases in the West where children have been picked up using chat rooms by anonymous and depraved users. The point in this respect is to always listen to the advice that has become something of a cliché: never trust who you meet online, and never give them your real name or address or contact. In other words, be anonymous! Because for all you know, the seemingly amazing person you just met could very well be a 45 year old lunatic.

Websites such as Orkut, have also been subjected to misuse by unscrupulous users. It is very easy to create a profile, and many users, for various nefarious reasons, end up creating a multitude of profiles. The worst part is that some of these identities actually belong to real people, and this can lead to horrendous amounts of abuse. There have again been documented instances where people have discovered their profiles on such websites, complete with pictures and personal information, and they haven’t even ever used the service. To a large extent, Facebook, the current favorite among social networking fanatics has tried to give more privacy control to its users, but still there is potential for great misdeeds.

This rather smoothly leads us to another increasing issue with social networking websites, and that is an element of voyeurism. That an online stalking, are menaces which are beginning to show up more and more often. The onus falls on the moderators and the controllers of such websites to ensure that the users behave themselves and that the content is what is supposed to be and what was advertised.

The Balance!

As it is evident, there is a good side to the phenomena, as well as a bad side; and hence it become important for the guardians and the family members of the younger users of such communities, as well as those who overuse these services, to work towards ensuring that a balance is created in the said users’ lives. For that to happen, the guardians should have a lot of empathy, and understand the needs of the person who is overusing such communities.

The basic need is that of belonging. Hence it is vital for parents to encourage their children to go out, play, exercise, and to meet their friends and to enjoy the physicality of existence. They must be made to feel a part of something, and the importance of balancing the various aspects of life should be emphasized to them. Online communities are a fine source of benefits, but they should not be over indulged into. They should simply exist as a supplementary part to the physical existence and interactions that the children and the younger users lead. Sports, extracurricular projects and field trips are an excellent way to create more healthy exposure for the younger users and to enhance their minds.

In the next part of this continuing series, I will be taking a look at the Bad and the Ugly side of Online Communities, and how there needs to be a balance in order to fully utilize the opportunities that Online Communities lend to us.

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