What is the impact of virtual communities on social interaction?
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The Impact of Virtual Communities on Social Interaction
Virtual Communities and Cultural Memory
Virtual communities on social media play a significant role in shaping and reproducing cultural memory, neighborhood identity, and culture. These communities enable individuals to actively produce and share content, thereby ensuring the continuity of neighborhood identity and culture that might otherwise erode in the physical environment. However, their impact on face-to-face relations and institutions remains limited1.
Intentional Social Action and Participation
Participation in virtual communities is often driven by intentional social actions, influenced by both individual determinants (such as positive anticipated emotions and desires) and community influences (like social identity). The concept of "we-intentions" explains that members' intentions to participate are shaped by these factors, highlighting the importance of social identity in fostering community engagement2.
Group Norms and Social Identity
Group norms and social identity are crucial determinants of participation in virtual communities. These factors motivate individuals to engage with the community, and their impact varies depending on the type of virtual community, whether network-based or small-group-based. This distinction affects the reasons for participation and the strength of group norms and social identity3.
Reciprocity and Commitment
Reciprocity is a key element in virtual communities, driving commitment and behavioral intentions such as online co-shopping. Interactivity, both structural and experiential, significantly influences reciprocity, which in turn enhances community commitment and participation4.
Social Structures and Dynamics
Virtual communities reflect the changing architecture of social interaction due to information and communications technology. These communities create novel social structures and dynamics, impacting social, political, and economic interactions. They provide a platform for transactions and interactions that shape the social momentum of communities5.
Professional Networking and Knowledge Sharing
In the healthcare sector, virtual communities facilitate professional networking and knowledge sharing among healthcare professionals. These communities enable the dissemination of specialty-specific clinical information, fostering a culture of collectivism, reciprocity, and respect. This knowledge sharing helps professionals make more informed practice decisions6.
Social Capital and Civic Engagement
Virtual communities have the potential to increase social capital and civic engagement, especially when they develop around physically based communities and foster additional communities of interest. These communities can enhance networks, norms, and trust, contributing to greater community participation and engagement7.
Sense of Belonging and User Participation
A sense of belonging in virtual communities is cultivated through familiarity with other members, perceived similarity, and trust. These factors, related to the dimensions of social capital, positively influence members' intentions to participate by sharing experiences and knowledge8.
Knowledge Sharing Motivations
Knowledge sharing in virtual communities is influenced by social capital factors such as social interaction ties, trust, reciprocity, identification, shared vision, and shared language. Additionally, outcome expectations, both community-related and personal, motivate individuals to share knowledge, enhancing the overall knowledge base of the community9.
Cultural Identity and Virtual Networking
The acceptance of new friendships in virtual communities can influence cultural identity by diminishing the bond with the local community. The absorption of others' cultural values through virtual interactions can impact local cultural values, highlighting the complex relationship between virtual networking and cultural identity10.
Conclusion
Virtual communities significantly impact social interaction by shaping cultural memory, fostering intentional social actions, and enhancing professional networking and knowledge sharing. They also influence social capital, civic engagement, and cultural identity. While these communities offer numerous benefits, their impact on face-to-face interactions and local institutions remains limited, necessitating further research to fully understand their long-term implications.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
THE EFFECTS OF INTERACTIONS IN VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE SHAPING AND REPRODUCING OF CULTURAL MEMORY, NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY, AND CULTURE
Virtual communities on social media can help maintain neighborhood identity and culture, but their impact on face-to-face relations and institutions remains limited.
Intentional social action in virtual communities
Virtual community participation is driven by individual determinants (positive emotions and desires) and community influences (social identity), with implications for marketing and future research opportunities.
Highly CitedA Social Influence Model of Consumer Participation in Network- and Small-Group-Based Virtual Communities
Virtual community type, network-based or small-group-based, influences consumer participation in virtual communities, with group norms and social identity playing key determinants.
Highly CitedUnderstanding consumer-to-consumer interactions in virtual communities : the salience of reciprocity
Virtual communities thrive on reciprocity, which drives commitment and online co-shopping, with both structural and experiential routes of interactivity influencing reciprocity.
Observational StudyHighly CitedSocial profiles of virtual communities
Virtual communities have unique social structures and dynamics, influenced by information and communications technology, and can be managed through social environments.
Highly CitedHow Health Care Professionals Use Social Media to Create Virtual Communities: An Integrative Review
Health care professionals use social media to create virtual communities to share domain knowledge, but current tribal behaviors may limit knowledge sharing.
Systematic Review
Rigorous JournalHighly CitedVirtual Communities and Social Capital
Virtual communities can increase social capital and civic engagement by developing around physically based communities and fostering additional communities of interest, such as education, information exchange, and government participation.
Highly CitedUnderstanding knowledge sharing in virtual communities: An integration of social capital and social cognitive theories
Social capital and outcome expectations influence individuals' knowledge sharing in virtual communities, with shared vision and language playing key roles.
Observational StudyHighly CitedThe Impact of Virtual Communities on Cultural Identity
Virtual community acceptance of unknown individuals can diminish the bond with local communities, affecting cultural identity.
Observational Study