Debating Communities and Networks XIV

Isolation: How the Rise of Social Media and Covid-19 Have Diminished Our Sense of Community

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Jana.Rotzler

Abstract: 

This paper explores the overall impacts that social media has on communities, exploring the rise of web-based communities through the emergence of Web 2.0 and the COVID-19 pandemic, which created a sense of loss of community through a decrease in face-to-face interaction and engagement. Exploring the difference between web-based communities and face-to-face communities and what is considered ‘real’. Web 2.0 and the rise of social media set a new and exciting way to engage online, creating and increasing web-based communities. However, through COVID-19 people were forced to socialise solely online, furthermore increasing these web-based communities. Although the rise of social media was seen as positive, it is evident through studies around COVID-19 there has been a detrimental effect of loneliness and isolation as a result, weakening communities as face-to-face engagements declined. 

Keywords:

Web-based communities, Web 2.0, COVID-19, Social media, Isolation, Face-to-face communication

Introduction:

The way in which communities interact and communicate are constantly changing and evolving, specifically through the rise of social media platforms and global pandemics including COVID-19. The evolution of Web 2.0 and social media platforms created a new sense of community which aimed to “support the maintenance of personal relationships” (Darwish & Lakhtaria, 2011, p. 208). Social media platforms allow for people to socialize globally online and reach people despite any environmental factors (Darwish & Lakhtaria, 2011). Although these are great aspects in creating more dynamic and diverse communities in society, social media has ultimately led to a decrease in traditional, physical communities. Furthermore, through the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in solely web-based communities in which individuals have been left to communicate through online platforms at times where social distancing and lock downs have been put in place, creating a loss in traditional communities where people physically get together in community. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to such a high dependance on social media platforms that there has been a loss in communities, in which people have found themselves no longer knowing how to socialise and engage with others in a physical sense. Therefore, communities are constantly progressing and changing in which people interact and engage with one another. The rise of Web 2.0 and social media platforms created a new emphasis on digital communication, as well as the covid-19 pandemic which reinforced the importance of digital communication. However, the increase of social media use is only bringing together communities at a surface level in the digital realm, ultimately decreasing the sense of community in actual reality.  

 

The rise of Web 2.0: a new way to socialise 

With the development of social media platforms through Web 2.0, individuals all over the globe are able to connect and engage, increasing a sense of community. The evolution of Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 is where the web became social, allowing for creation and interaction (Darwish & Lakhtaria, 2011). Specifically, Web 2.0 bought about social media platforms which “augments group interactions and shared spaces for collaboration, social connections, and aggregates information exchanges in a web-based environment” (Darwish & Lakhtaria, 2011, p. 208). Not only does social media allow for communication between individuals, it also allows for individuals to create an online profile available for their friends to interactive with as well as the general public (Yavich et al., 2019).The emergence of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allowed for communities to connect in real time, despite their geographic location by sharing information and ideas, as well as sharing interests with existing relationships or new relationships. Additionally, social media platforms “allow users to upload images and access other people’s profiles, and provides numerous opportunities to create friendships and interactions” (Yavich et al., 2019, p.10). More specifically, the social media platform Facebook plays a role in “reinforcing social ties and maintaining existing ties, and a means of access to friends‘ information and emotions” (Yavich et al., 2019, p. 11). Therefore, promoting the bonds of pre-existing real-life communities. Social media has also allowed for users to create user generated content through “collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds” (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010, p. 59). Platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have allowed users to create, share and engage with content in all kinds of digital communities. Allowing people to engage, interact and communicate with one another via multiple social media platforms. Social media platforms are able to create a greater sense of community solely in an online realm as it became a new and innovative way to communicate and socialize with the rise of Web 2.0.

 

Social media and its limitations:

Although the rise of social media allows for communities to engage and interact in an online space, the question whether this creates a loss or gain of community is raised. With the increase of social media and online interactivity, there is a decrease in face-to-face, traditional interaction (Hampton & Wellman, 2018). There has been a decrease in people coming together in person in communities to as people are hiding behind their devices in the digital realm. Although social media platforms allow individuals to express themselves and find like-minded people online, social media only allows for users to show a surface level, usually specifically curated version of themselves. Therefore, raising the questions about how realistic social media is. Through social media users only see a small and share a small part of their lives and identities, making it difficult to create authentic and realistic communities online. Bozkurt and Tu reveal that social media users curate their online identity to be perceived in certain ways, to an extent not expressing their genuine self (2016). Therefore, driving the questions about how authentic and real digital communities truly can be. Although social media allows for online friendships and communities to be created, it is found that the “preference of virtual friendship leads to a decline in social skills” (Yavich et al., 2019, p. 11). Spending an increased amount of time on social media has the ability to reduce one’s social skills, creating an inability to engage with communities in real life situations. The way in which communities interact online does not reflect how communities interact in person (Yavich et al., 2019). This can cause a decline in the sense of community in real life, face-to-face situations creating a disconnection and divide between reality and the digital realm.  Additionally, as people are able to hide their identity through social media platforms, there has been an increase in anti-social behaviour (Park et al., 2022). This is only allowable in the digital realm as users have the power to curate any identity when not engaging face-to-face. Moreover, social media algorithms create filter bubbles which can be detrimental to community building. Geschke et al. define filter bubbles as “an individual outcome of different processes of information search, perception, selection, and remembering the sum of which causes individual users to receive from the universe of available information only a tailored selection that fits their pre-existing attitudes” (2018, p. 130). Therefore, filter bubbles limit exposure to diverse viewpoints, creating a chamber effect where communities are becoming more polarized and less likely to engage (Geschke et al., 2018). Social media users are exposed to content that confirms and reflects their pre-existing opinions, where users are less likely to engage with diverse communities as a result of filter bubbles and echo chambers thereby creating a loss of community. Ultimately, social media is disrupting the sense of community in which users curate identities and are able to hide behind their screens, promoting the decline in face-to-face interaction as well as limiting the exposure of diversified ideas.

 

Need for the web – COVID-19:

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the way communities engage with one another. Although due to the rise of Web 2.0 technologies, there was new way for communities to engage with one another in the digital world, communities still engaged with dualism physically, face-to-face. However, the COVID-19 pandemic restricted the physical interaction of communities due to “social distancing, quarantine, and isolation” (Sahu et al., 2020, p. 5415). This created a should have been increase in web-based communities, as social media became a primary source of communication between people. “The need for meaningful social connections and a feeling of belonging are fundamental parts of being human” (Latikka et al., 2021, pp. 1-2). Therefore, during the COVID-19 pandemic there was a loss of community as many people felt they couldn’t form meaningful social connections without being face-to-face. “With “restriction of movement” and “not socializing with each other” becoming a new normal lifestyle for most of us, mental vulnerability to conditions like anxiety and depression has been increasingly recognised” (Sahu et al., 2020, p. 5415). Through Latikka et al. (2021), studies, it was found that although social media helped communities engage, there was still a loss of community with increased phycological distress and feelings of loneliness. Thus, emphasising the importance of face-to-face engagement and interactions to strengthen community bonds. Additionally, filter bubbles created by social media platforms algorithms have created a sense of divide within communities. As previously stated, filter bubbles have the ability to reinforce pre-existing beliefs and spread misinformation (Geschle et al., 2018), breaking down community cohesion. There has been a spread of misinformation that has led to “vaccine avoidance, mask refusal, and utilization of medications with insignificant scientific data, ultimately contributing to increased morbidity” (Ferreira Caceres et al., 2022, p. 262). Not only has had a negative impact on people’s health and safety, there also has been an increased divide between communities with opposing beliefs that have been endorsed through filter bubble and echo chambers. Thus being said, social media has play an important role in keeping communities together during the COVID-19 pandemic, however it is also evident that face-to-face engagement is more much more favourable and important.  

 

Do we know how to socialise after COVID-19?

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of social media in promoting communities, the result of this has led individuals to be less inclined to engage with one another face-to-face. As Yavich et al. (2019) discussed, the increased use of social media use has led to the lack of social skills and ability for communities to engage with one another in real life. Therefore, after the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been reluctant to socialise face-to-face, creating a loss of community in the real world. Siste et al. (2020) highlight the link between COVID-19 and internet addiction, exploring the result of increased web communities, decreasing the engagement of communities face-to-face. Revealing how this addiction has created a loss of community outside the digital world. COVID-19 has also created a fear of getting sick or spreading sicknesses within people, contributing to the decline in desire to socialize face-to-face (Sahu et al., 2020). As a result, COVID-19 deeply impacted the way in which communities socialise and engage with one another, creating a lack of social skills and sparking fear within people to interact face-to-face.

 

Conclusion:

Despite the fact that social media can be a powerful tool in bringing a sense of community, it can also do the opposite and create false senses of reality and therefore false senses of close knit communities. At a deeper level it is understood that the increase use of social media to engage with communities has led to the decrease in communities engaging face-to-face. Bozkurt and Tu (2016) expose the reality of social media and how it doesn’t entirely reflect real world situations, and therefore real world communities. Hampton and Wellman acknowledge, “some alarm in the recognition that the nature of community is changing as technologies change is sensible, and we have no quarrel with the collective desire to have better, more supportive friends, families and communities” (2018, p. 644). Further emphasising how powerful digital technologies impact the way in which people communicate with one another. Additionally, it is evident with the impact of COVID-19 that digital communities only reflect real life communities to a certain extent (Monninger et al., 2023). Highlighting the need for face-to-face engagements to build and create stronger communities in real life situations. COVID-19 has forced communities to engage digitally, however it is evident through the increased loneliness and depression within people that this is not a sustainable way to engage, highlighting the need for face-to-face socialisation. Ultimately, with the increase of digital communities (through the rise of Web 2.0 and the Covid-19 pandemic), there is inevitably a loss of community in the real world outside the digital realm.

 

 

References:

Bugshan, H. (2015). Open innovation using Web 2.0 technologies. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 28(4), 595–607. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeim-09-2014-099

 

Darwish, A., & Lakhtaria, K. I. (2011). The impact of the new Web 2.0 technologies in communication, development, and revolutions of societies. Journal of advances in information technology, 2(4), 204-216. Doi:10.4304/jait.2.4.204-216

 

Ferreira Caceres, M. M., Sosa, J. P., Lawrence, J. A., Sestacovschi, C., Tidd-Johnson, A., Rasool, M. H. U., Gadamidi, V. K., Ozair, S., Pandav, K., Cuevas-Lou, C., Parrish, M., Rodriguez, I., & Fernandez, J. P. (2022). The impact of misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic. AIMS Public Health, 9(2), 262–277. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2022018

 

Geschke, D., Lorenz, J., & Holtz, P. (2018). The triple-filter bubble: Using agent-based modelling to test a meta-theoretical framework for the emergence of filter bubbles and echo chambers. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58(1), 129–149. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12286

 

Hampton, K. N., & Wellman, B. (2018). Lost and Saved… Again: The moral panic about the loss of community takes hold of social media. Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 47(6), 643–651. https://doi.org/10.1177/0094306118805415

 

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! the challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59–68. Doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003

 

Latikka, R., Koivula, A., Oksa, R., Savela, N., & Oksanen, A. (2021). Loneliness and psychological distress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Relationships with social media identity bubbles. Social Science & Medicine, 293 (1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114674

 

Monninger, M., Aggensteiner, Pascal-M., Pollok, T. M., Kaiser, A., Reinhard, I., Hermann, A., Reichert, M., Ebner-Priemer, U. W., Meyer-Lindenberg, A., Brandeis, D., Banaschewski, T., & Holz, N. E. (2023). The importance of high quality real-life social interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30803-9

 

Park, J. S., Seering, J., & Bernstein, M. S. (2022). Measuring the prevalence of anti-social behavior in online communities. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1145/3555552

 

Sahu, K., Jain, A., Bodicherla, K., & Raza, Q. (2020). Impact on mental health by “Living in Isolation and Quarantine” during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 9(10), 5415-5418. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1572_20

 

Siste, K., Hanafi, E., Sen, L. T., Christian, H., Adrian, Siswidiani, L. P., Limawan, A. P., Murtani, B. J., & Suwartono, C. (2020). The Impact of Physical Distancing and Associated Factors Towards Internet Addiction Among Adults in Indonesia During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Web-Based Study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11(1) 580977-580977. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.580977

Yavich, R., Davidovitch, N., & Frenkel, Z. (2019). Social Media and Loneliness – Forever connected? Higher Education Studies, 9(2), 10-21. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v9n2p10

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23 responses to “Isolation: How the Rise of Social Media and Covid-19 Have Diminished Our Sense of Community”

  1. Tien.T.Le Avatar
    Tien.T.Le

    Hi Jana,

    Your paper is extremely interesting. Even I, as an introvert and a homebody, find myself relating to a particular statement in your paper; ‘The way in which communities interact online does not reflect how communities interact in person (Yavich et al., 2019)’. Though I like, and mostly, communicate with my friends online, I do acknowledge that spending time face-to-face with them is more or so different than just texting or calling them. Because I don’t see them face to face, I don’t have to be actively engaged in the groupchat or feel obliged to have my say. What I’m interested to find out though, is if I am the only one feeling this way? Were homebodies and introverts impacted as harshly as those who love to go out? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

    1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
      Jana.Rotzler

      Hi Tien,
      Thank you for your response!
      This is an interesting idea I hadn’t really thought of throughout my research on this topic. I mainly focussed on the negative impacts that COVID-19 had socially however, I believe that there could have been positives derived from this time. Although COVID-19 did have very harmful impacts on communities, people had the time to focus on themselves. Many finding new hobbies and even learning more about themselves as they had a new sense of time. I’d say homebodies and introverts weren’t as harshly impacted as those who love to go out. However, I still found through my studies that the majority of individuals felt very isolated during this very confusing time of being in lockdown.
      Regards,
      Jana

  2. Avinash Assonne Avatar
    Avinash Assonne

    Hello Jana,

    Your paper was an interesting read. You are so right about this, “There has been a decrease in people coming together in person in communities to as people are hiding behind their devices in the digital realm”. Many individuals got so used of just staying in the comfort of their home, behind their screens and just spending time on the internet. And yes, Covid-19 actually made this worst. Such lockdowns and confinements actually made some people’s socials kills and art of conversation worst! I guess staying for so long at home, working/studying from home does that to a person. Do you think that we are still adjusting to the “new normal”?

    Regards,
    Avinash

    1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
      Jana.Rotzler

      Hi Avinash,
      Thank you for your insight!
      I think we are definitely still adjusting to the “new normal”. COVID-19 had such a deep impact on us and how we interact. It was such a confusing and difficult time adapting to lockdowns and social distancing it is inevitable to go back to how it was in a short amount of time. Although it has been a couple of years since lockdowns in Australia I still see places marked with social distancing signs bringing back memories of such an odd time. I feel that people are still fearful of the future and if lockdowns will happen again. Not only is there still this sense of fear and anxiety, the increased use of social media during lockdowns also led to the decline of social skills. Therefore, throughout my research I found people are still adapting to this “new normal” as there is still fear and people’s main form of communication online during COVID-19 created the decline in social skills and therefore loss of sense of community.
      Regards,
      Jana

      1. Avinash Assonne Avatar
        Avinash Assonne

        Hello Jana,

        Thank you for your response. Yes that’s one of the main ideas that I have taken from your paper, we are just still adjusting to the “new normal”. Indeed, it does look like the pandemic affected our social skills in a negative way, however, as you mentioned with time we will be able to regain such skills as we adjust little by little to the “new normal”. Social skills and real-life interactivity are just aspects of life that we have to keep on working on and you really pointed that out in your paper. Thank you!

        Regards,
        Avinash

  3. Jayson Pye Avatar
    Jayson Pye

    Hi Jana,

    I enjoyed reading this, and I largely agree with your conclusion of “Ultimately, with the increase of digital communities (through the rise of Web 2.0 and the Covid-19 pandemic), there is inevitably a loss of community in the real world outside the digital realm.” I have two questions about this though.
    1. Do you think there are certain types of communities that are more degrading than others? EG twitter vs maybe a facebook group for your particular suburb and which ones do you think are more harmful?
    2. As our brain is fully developed after early adulthood, do you think it is an age problem in regard to people becoming less social? Would it be worth age-gating these communities a little further than they currently are?

    Regards,
    Jayson

    1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
      Jana.Rotzler

      Hi Jayson,
      Thank you for your comment!
      The idea of certain types of communities being more degraded is something I hadn’t really thought of but is important for this topic. Overall, I feel as the Twitter community holds a place for much more internet trolling and bullying as it isn’t as personal as Facebook. Facebook groups for a particular suburb can bring a great sense of community for posting about events and sharing information. However, relating back to the COVID-19 topic this was a difficult time to host events and there was an immense amount of fake news all over both Twitter and Facebook. I discussed filter bubbles and how they created a sense of loss of community and I believe filter bubbles are prominent issues on both social media platforms Facebook and Twitter impacting both communities in a harmful way.
      Additionally, I do believe age has an impact on how communities engage with one another. People are becoming more and more dependant on social media overtime and as I discussed, the more time spent on social media has led to a decrease in social skills. This is more relevant to younger generations as they are the main demographic on social media. Although younger generations are more dependant on social media to communicate rather than older generations, studies around COVID-19 emphasised the importance of face-to-face engagement no matter the age of the person. People still have the need to communicate and bond in real life situations despite their age.
      I hope this answered your questions well 🙂
      Regards,
      Jana

  4. Indre Avatar
    Indre

    Hi Jana

    Thanks for an interesting paper! I am an Honours student at Curtin and my research is on how social media was crucial to public libraries during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. These things resonate with me since I live with someone who is immune compomised and I have medical issues myself, so we are still staying home as much as possible, wearing masks etc. We still haven’t got COVID (touch wood).

    It was interesting reading how you said social media was making people less social in real life. Through my Honours research I have been demonstrating how social media can be used in public libraries for many activities, including online storytelling sessions with Auslan interpreters or reaching further out to remote Indigenous communities, all of these aligning with initiatives such as the 2023 Commonweath Closing the Gap Implementation Plan. People who might not be able to physically access a library even after COVID can still participate in anything announced via social media. Young & Rossmann (2015) mentioned that during the lockdown, people’s online experiences were no different to those they felt when they would be in the library itself. It would be interesting doing wider research to measure exactly what people did online and see who become less social and who didn’t etc.

    Anyway that’s it from me! Good luck with your studies!
    Indre

    PS. sorry for everything being in one chunk, despite it being all nice and neat in the comment box, once I hit send it comes out as one big message 😛

    1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
      Jana.Rotzler

      Hi Indre, thanks for your insightful perspective. I think that social media definitely presents great opportunities especially during lockdowns as it was a crucial way of socialising. Although I haven’t done any research in online libraries, I can imagine that this sort of interaction between people wouldn’t have been that different to a face-to-face experience in comparison to other social interactions like seeking friends and family that i discussed. I guess I can relate this to my own experience with having to do school online for parts of year 12 because of lockdowns. Though I didn’t find much of a difference to going to school face-to-face I still personally preferred being in class face-to-face as I found it much more engaging. This topic could be completely dependent on preference and how one works in a learning environment.
      Regards, Jana

  5. Charlotte Phillips Avatar
    Charlotte Phillips

    Hi Jana,

    What an interesting paper! I can definitely relate to it. I had my youngest child during the pandemic and I do feel it affected the “mum” community a lot. Not being able to meet other mums in person or have playdates for little ones to socialise was a hard pill for a lot of mums to swallow (particularly new mums)! Do you think that there is anything that social media platforms could do to mitigate this sense of “increased loneliness and depression” that you mention in your paper? Or is the cure really just getting back to face-to-face engagement?

    Keen to hear your thoughts!
    Charlotte.

    1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
      Jana.Rotzler

      Hi Charlotte,
      Thank you for this compelling insight. I could imagine this would’ve been difficult especially for a new mum. Do you think the pandemic impacted your youngest child in any way? I’ve seen lots of things about young children growing up during the pandemic being so used to lockdowns and social distancing that when restrictions eased they found it hard to adjust to as they were born into the pandemic, they didn’t know any different.
      To answer your question I don’t think its up to the functions of social media platforms, I feel it is mainly up to us as humans to find ways to stay connected via face-to-face interactions. It is so important for one’s wellbeing to stay connected to others.
      Regards, Jana

      1. Charlotte Phillips Avatar
        Charlotte Phillips

        Hi Jana!

        Thanks for your response!

        Yes, absolutely. I do think the lockdowns would have had a greater impact on him if he didn’t have siblings! He was quite lucky in that respect, he didn’t lose out on extra faces to see and interact with! It is a very real issue with a lot of only children though and like you, I remember seeing quite a bit about infants having trouble adjusting.

        What do you think are some ways that we can strike that difficult balance between not enough face-to-face interactions vs too much online socialisation? What about those who don’t feel they have friends or connections outside of their online lives?

        Thanks again!
        Charlotte.

        1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
          Jana.Rotzler

          Hey Charlotte,
          I could imagine without his siblings it would have been a lot harder.
          This is an interesting concept I didn’t focus on in my research. I believe it’s difficult to create a balance between not enough face-to-face interactions and too much online socialisation because social media apps are becoming more and more addictive. I watched a documentary called The Social Dilemma a few years ago which highlights how these platforms profiting and taking advantage off our addictions, it was a really eye-opening watch. I feel ways to strike this are just becoming more aware of the reality and finding ways to minimise time on our phones, gaining back that control.
          I’m not entirely sure about those who are maybe more introverted and are more social online. I personally believe that face-to-face connections are much more important and valuable than online connections, but that could be because I am more of an extrovert.
          Thanks for your response!
          Jana

  6. Koveela.Soobrayen Avatar
    Koveela.Soobrayen

    Hi Jana,

    I really enjoyed reading your paper. Lockdown was indeed not easy for many people, especially students having online classes and being away from their friends or those living alone not having a support system during those difficult times. Do you think that anonymity from users online makes it difficult for them to forge valuable friendships online because they portray only a flawless image of themselves? As you stated, during the pandemic people could not build meaningful relationships without being face-to-face, don’t you think that keeping in touch with loved ones is more effective in reducing loneliness than engaging in superficial conversations within an online community?

    Would love to hear your thoughts!

    Kind regards,
    Koveela

    1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
      Jana.Rotzler

      Hi Koveela,
      Thank you for your feedback!
      I 100% think that anonymity online has made it difficult for people to create authentic and valuable relationships online.
      There is this sense of pressure where people portray a perfect life via social media, only highlighting the positive and sometimes even curated/fake parts of themselves or their lives.
      This definitely creates a sort of barrier between people. Keeping in touch face-to-face is important as people are much more likely to be authentic as they are not ‘hiding behind a screen’. Also reducing feelings of loneliness through these face-to-face engagements.
      Regards, Jana

      1. Koveela.Soobrayen Avatar
        Koveela.Soobrayen

        Hi Jana,

        Thank you for replying! I agree with you but don’t you think that it is much more difficult for introverts to have face-to-face interactions in reality due to social anxiety, thus why they are inclined to be anonymous online and be part of a community online? Do you think that social media is the only way for introverts to comfortably voice out their opinions? What could be done to suppress negative stereotypes about introverts as lacking social skills and more likely to feel lonely when exposed to reality?

        Best Regards,
        Koveela

        1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
          Jana.Rotzler

          Hi Koveela,
          Thanks again for your response!
          This is a topic I didn’t really look into throughout my research, the perspective is those who are more introverted.
          I do think social media is great tool for those who have social anxiety, however, because of the addictive nature of social media it makes it difficult to overcome that anxiety. And yes it can create a space where people feel more comfortable as they can be anonymous, but I still believe the anonymity of it all can create a toxic space where people feel they can say anything without facing consequences. I’d like to hope that there are other places where introverts feel comfortable voicing their opinion with close friends and family but I’m not too sure.
          There definitely needs to be more awareness about this to suppress negative stereotypes about introverts.
          Thanks again
          Jana

          1. Koveela.Soobrayen Avatar
            Koveela.Soobrayen

            Hi Jana,

            Thanks for replying. I agree with you on anonymity creating a toxic culture. I also think the reason due to which introverts create this ideal identity (an alter ego which they fear to reveal in reality) online is because social media to them is not an overwhelming place contrarily with real life. On social media they can set their boundaries and communicate only with people that aligns with them unlike in real life because they are sometimes compelled to talk to strangers (for e.g when doing group projects with unfamiliar classmates at school). I also think that it is much difficult for introverts to engage in face-to-face interactions because unlike extroverts, they require much alone time to rejuvenate their social battery after interacting with others in reality. I hence think that judging introverts as being odd individuals because they struggle with in-person interactions is not fair because society makes it feel that extroverts fit in the norm because they have social skills but nobody is meant to follow a rule book.

            Maybe they will be more inclined to reveal their identity among their online community only because they have built trust with each other, considering they share like-minded values. I think that to reduce suspicions and stereotypes about them understanding their difference is important instead of making them feel like an outcast.

            Maybe introverts could have in-person interactions if they have meet-ups in cosy locations such as cafes which could be more appealing to them as they could connect with their community in reality without facing backlash as compared to online. Meeting their community in reality can reduce loneliness and expand their networks as introverts value quality friendships rather than having an enormous group of friends with whom they can barely even invest much individual attention on which might be the reason of their anonymity.
            What do you think about it?

            Best Regards,
            Koveela

  7. Luke Lwin Avatar
    Luke Lwin

    Hey Jana,
    Interesting paper. Taking in the factor of the rise of social media during the pandemic is a good case of showing community functioning. I found it interesting that you stated that communities would have more trouble connecting to social settings in real life due to being on social media too much. I was wondering what behaviours would be different, because I would’ve thought that being interconnected to a wider community through Wed2.0 allowed people to be more comfortable and show who they are if they are on calls or Facetime etc. What do you think is the main change in behaviour if someone is on social media more than interacting with people in real life?
    Thanks, Luke

    1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
      Jana.Rotzler

      Hi Luke,
      Thanks for your response.
      Although social media has many positives and was a crucial part of interacting and keeping connected with others during the pandemic, there is also a sense it does not reflect reality. Through my research, I found that many people saw a decline in their social skills during and after the pandemic as they became so used to interacting virtually. Although apps like Facetime do exist where people can show their authentic selves, other platforms such as social media reveal a change in behaviour within people in comparison to real life. Through social media, people are able to show a curated version of themselves and their lives, causing this sense of disconnection and inauthenticity. Additionally, the anonymity factors of social media create this change in behaviours allowing people to ‘hide behind their screens’.
      Regards, Jana

  8. Finch.Assadoullaev Avatar
    Finch.Assadoullaev

    Hi Jana,

    I was drawn to your paper by the title, as I also discussed the replacement of in-person communities due to social media. I discussed it from the perspective of the queer community on TikTok, mentioning how an online community is better than no community at all, but it isn’t a suitable replacement. Check it out if you’re interested!: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2023/csm/712/queersontiktok/

    My first comment is in regards to a “preference of virtual friendship leads to a decline in social skills.” Perhaps this is the phrasing of the source author, but this argument presents itself as an oxymoron to me. In order to create & maintain online relationships, you must have apt social skills. Perhaps not the typical kind that is suitable to in-person interactions, but I’d argue that online social skills have value as well. Especially when thinking of people with limited access to in-person engagement (such as elders, people with mobility issues, immuno-compromised people, etc.), I’d have a hard time deciding which kind of social skill is more important to develop. Personally, I’ve lost contact with many dear friends due to my own lack of online communication skills. What do you think?

    Further, while I definitely agree that social media platforms & algorithms create (at times, dangerous) echo chambers, I believe that the filtering of content is necessary for the creation of community. Communities are typically based on a shared interest and/or experience. I believe that community-building may actually be the intention of the “filter bubbles” by showing users content & other users that have shared ideas & interests. If you were to change (or even completely remove) this aspect of social media, what mechanism would you put in place in order for isolated users to find each other and connect? What would community-building look like? Is it up to the platform to ensure a certain base level of diversity within each community?

    Though this study predates COVID, it states that “constantly online” teens are just as likely as their offline friends to socialize in person. Plus, the compounding of online AND offline interaction effectively translates to more time socializing overall (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/11/28/teens-who-are-constantly-online-are-just-as-likely-to-socialize-with-their-friends-offline/). Do you think this is an isolated scenario due to the demographic (teens), do you think our methods of communication and community-building may be going through a kind of metamorphosis, or something else entirely? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

    Sorry for the long comment – your paper was very interesting and thought-provoking!

    Cheers,
    Finch

    1. Jana.Rotzler Avatar
      Jana.Rotzler

      Hi Finch, thanks for your thoughtful and insightful response.

      There are definitely so many dimensions to this. I believe that online social interactions are valuable, however to a smaller extant than face-to-face social interactions. Through my research I found that face-to-face social interactions often have more of an impact on people. In regards to social skills, I definitely think that social media gives people the tools to interact and engage especially for those who have limited access top in-person engagement as you said. In my experience, I find having a balance between engaging online and face-to-face is the best way to maintain relationships and social skills.

      While I do agree echo-chambers can create a sense of community I do believe this can lead to polarisation and division within communities, as people become more entrenched in their own beliefs and less willing to engage with those who hold different perspectives. I guess it is up to users as well as the platform. Users should be encouraged to be more open minded and seek out other information. The platforms could also impose more regulation.

      This study is very interesting. Through my research I mainly found articles on how the addictive nature of social media has led to a decline in face-to-face engagements. It could be entirely up to the type of person, whether they or more introverted or extroverted. It could also be up to the nature of the social media they use. Like I said, this topic has so many dimensions to it and for it to ideally work there must be a balance.

      Regards, Jana

  9. Georgie Avatar
    Georgie

    Hey Jana,

    Such an insightful perspective offered in this paper, amazing work! What you mentioned around the pandemic restricting “physical interaction of communities” as a results of quarantine, social distancing, ect. and its relation to social media now becoming a primary source of which we all community, was something I very much agree with! Given we have all become comfortable with limited social interaction since the pandemic, do you think there are any efforts the government, or other similar bodies, could implement to encourage people to get back into the community and make authentic, in-person connections?

    Would love to hear your thoughts!

    Thanks,
    Georgie

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