Cyberville : an exploratory study on the social impact of virtual communities

Abstract

The study looks into Virtual Communities and analyses the impact that these communities have on our life. ECHO, a Virtual Community based in New York, is the basis for the study, which considers the formation of relationships, and the impact on them brought about by such Cybervilles. A Virtual Community represents an online community where a group of people share social interaction. It provides an opportunity for users to come together, free from constraints of time and space to form meaningful relationships. Whenever innovative technology is introduced into society it has a profound effect on the individuals, their actions, reactions and interactions- the on-line communities are affecting individuals' lives. Besides looking into whether or not Virtual Communities resemble at all real-life communities, the study questions whether or not relationships formed on-line are as intense and real as those formed in our real-life community. A qualitative research amplifies the research question.