Is social media eroding our sense of ommunity

The claim friendly media is eroding our disposition of p impostureicipation is as complex and ambiguous as the term alliance itself, in several(prenominal)(prenominal) its brain of the nonion and its fluidity as a opinion. mixer media has the both(prenominal) the potential to perpetuate the erosion of our mind of connection, and equally to influence and pop off a less secular sense of residential district. The local and handed-down sense of community is hanging through our ever-increasing action with social media that instantly shapes how we now interact and communicate with separates but has it forever traded the traditional sense of serve thy neighbor?Logic suggests that, in this context, to erode is not solely to diminish but rather to change. With the proliferation of positive social movements, community engagement tools and online door to education, social media in addition gives us arena to increase the sphere of our influence. It would be dogmatic to state that social media does not put one across the capacity to cater a positive and much(prenominal) population(a) context to our sense and understanding of community. While this thought is changing social media is simply a sign of this, not the cause.There is the potential for it to perpetuate the short-comings of a more isolated ND globalizes hostel but it also has the power to leaven our connectedness and char a better understanding of servicemanity and equality. Which vogue it goes pass on be determined by how we, as a high society, use it. Community is a fluid, every changing image that has a perpetual relationship with society and its values as a whole. As society changes, so the concept of community is also changing.In an ever turning world, society evolves through changing values and views that flow through into how we interact and are influenced by norms and ideas (Turner B S (deed) 2011 83). For the repose of this paper one regulates it imperative, not ju st now to countersink a traditional place centered definition of community, but also to consider how this definition has evolved to now be centered around the importation that human beings have inter-twined with community rather than simply the functional construction of community.The debate about(predicate) the balance between individual interest and the super C good for all is come up documented in literature about community through the ages. Before the sasss social theorists such as Mercer (1956) and others discussed the concept of a community as group of citizens residing in a area or location, for a particular era and who share a commonality set of social structures and cultural behaviors. Neal, (1981) went further and described the concept as those attributes combined that show an awareness of their uniqueness and separate identity as a group (Neal, S.Deed. 1981 27). Perhaps with changes in glance of autonomy and the collective in in advance(p) society, more importan ce is moving toward that of the individual. Recognition of these accents by scholars has, in part, led to the discourse on community studies that encompasses ore than a functionalist or formalist concept of community as a physical locality. Like any other social construct, community has a symbolic dimension as well (Cohen 1985 8). For the purposes of describing and examining social media as online communities this distinction is of paramount importance.Western culture, which is mainly seen as individualist (Vaughan G & Hog M 2010 320), recognizes a concept of community that is the spunk of more than its social function or formalist nature. The environment, the terrain, the industry of a community all define or frame the notion of a community. The human element feeds the meaning to our communities. Cohen (1985) outlines that a constructional view of community is symbolically constructed as a conglomerate of normative codes and values that provide members with a sense of identity (C ohen, 1985 p 8).This definition emphasizes meaning over structure and highlights that the underpinning aeonian in our idea of community is the meaning both individuals and society in general perceive it to be and not its physical state. As Cohen (1985) states it is not whether its structural limits have withstood the onslaught of social change, but whether its members are competent to infuse TTS culture with validity and to construct a symbolic community which provides meaning and identity (Cohen, 1985 9).Community as a concept is determined by the perspective of society and its culture at a certain shoot down on the date and space continuum. Community like love is where you find it, and most importantly, it has many forms, one Just as vital the farthest or the next, erosion is inept in describing its continuously changing and procreate nature. Traditional communities have al tracks evolved through cycles of development as fresh technologies and services that have been introd uced.The arrival of electricity, the rail dashs and the telephone have all impacted on the way we perceive community and the way we as individuals interact indoors it. It is interesting to note that studies on community and social change, peculiarly those articulated by Ferdinand Townies (1887) and George Simmer (1887), during the height of European modernity, outlined that age an understanding of community was still mainly bound in locus they also commented on the degree to which the forms of the 19th century social human beings reflected those changing notions of the value of the collective social experience.At the time communities become more connected and urban, peasant societies were declining and city life was seen as exemplifying the disintegrate of oral culture, traditional morality and family ties but not necessarily as causing it Cones, S. Deed. 1999 277). Social media as both a by-product of and an artillery of social change must logically be seen as more than erod ing our sense of community but rather changing with it and portion it to evolve.In western culture, a more individualist and autonomous drive is appear and social media is perpetuating this drive. Whether this change in itself is erosion is to be left o the philosophers and ethicists of the social sciences to debate, the facts are that with change comes some sort of diminishing of some factors but not without the enhancement or even creation of others. In the modern age, the necessity for physical function with those geographically close to you is intelligibly diminished.An evolutionary process where the space and distance between those you converse with and interact with socially has decreased, specially in the 21st century where demands on an individuals time have increase with seemingly less and less time that isnt sedulous by work or life maintenance. This has led to a tension between lost opportunities for face-to-face communication and the ever broadening horizons neigh borly through social media.Clearly one support see this has the potential to gainsay societys views about the impact of social media on our traditional understanding of community. It is likely that Sociologist get out seek to measure the ways it could change our construct of community rather than examining how it has changed our notions in the hopes of minimizing the negative impacts of how we are using social media (Keen, A. 2012 99) furthermore it has been evidenced that it is wrought face to face interacting that we learn how to treat others, fill others and interact peacefully with others, particularly as children. Vaughan G & Hog M 2010 333-334) Any decline in face-to-face communication and fundamental interaction will mean there is a risk that a general drop of empathy and understanding will evolve in western society, but exactly if our culture continues to have a secular rather than a global push. (Christensen & Elevation, 2001 477) Also maintaining some level of face to face interaction and learning, peculiarly in young children could mitigate the risk of such an outcome.In addition move an understanding and interaction with differing others, a strong and aslant ideal within our culture, trance still exposedhanded prevalence to our face to face interaction will have a balanced outcome on society. The gain of the scope of our interaction is possibly the most amazing element of change that social media has exemplified and perpetuated. Through our ability to connect globally in corporeal time, we now have not only a greater scope of influence and inlet to information and education but also increased connection with boundless numbers of individuals in similar circumstances (Cartrescue, L. 10). Clearly these are all huge enhancements to our sense of community, not only does it enhance our connectedness with others it also enhances the potential for direct action by citizens either for political reasons or to marshal support for local and wo rld-wide issues of importance environmental, human rights and economic development. Recent movements such as the world wide action to stop the destruction of palm oil forests in Malaysia, that were organized through online channels (anon, 2010), or the use of mobile phones to shoot videos of violence against citizens in the uprising of theArab Spring show the power of modern communications in a connected world. (Fuchs C. 2012 109) These causes have achieved increased foreign reach and therefore greater support through social media. Moreover, traditional locus oriented communities were somewhat limited in their capacity for inclusion of every individual, because it implied uniformity of a citizen the values and behaviors expected by the absolute majority marginals the lives of those who were, or felt, different. People were ostracizes and made to feel less worthy or deviant if they didnt meet the communities expectations.Christensen, K. & Elevation, D. 2001 41 5) Communities on line allow for freedom of the individual, particularly giving power for those that dont fit the standard model in their current locale to connect with like- minded people across the globe, in a way that encourages variety and allows creativity to flourish and people to access ideas and norms from many, varied societies. assenting to so much has been amplified through our increased connectedness that has emerged through social media, from access to other individuals and their ideas to more varied social groupings and formal education.Greater access to information, education and ideas increases the opportunity for many and it is through this lens that it can be seen that social media has the ability to enhance social equality. Individuals no longer look at to be so isolated there are kindred strong drink actively seeking connection through social media channels -feelings of impuissance or futility in trying to fit or change the way things are can be moderated and sometimes elimina ted. Social media channels open up the possibility of free and uncensored discussion about thoughts and feelings. Social Edie can also enable new alliances and support networks to emerge and flourish.We dont have to feel helpless about how to change things any more, now we can share our feelings and thoughts on any subject, freely and openly. Our capacity to connect to like-mind others, especially as counter to those who would suppress the truth, and provide a voice citizens to deal the truth openly and marshal support for difference in cerebration and believing is enormous (anon, 2010). The pressing questions for current researchers in the social sciences will include how to further remote the enhancement of connectedness and sharing of ideas and views while still maintaining a level of face to face communication and learning.Western society must embrace social media as a way to enhance a changed sense of community both its values and the styles of community involvement gettin g left behind is the only sure fire way to segregate, as opposed to mesh these two forms of community(Froth, M. Deed. 2011 304). Western societies sense of community has changed this is undeniable, it has not however simply eroded nor has social media been the instigator or catalyst of this. It has contributed to both the disintegration of he traditional, locale orientated and kinda secular communities and the enhancement of a more global and connected community.It has in its own way extended current communities and given access to practise of empowering tools for the individual and the group, it has the ability to broaden the horizons for all with access to it and to enforce empathy and equality. that only if we as intelligent, complex and power wielding human beings integrate and impart meaning and importance on both our locale and online communities. While comprehend its empowering ability we must be aware of its complexity and effect on traditional incepts and learning.We ha ve the power to use social media for good and not for evil.