Written By: Susan Ganahl
Psychology 409a, 1998, Generation 10
Contents
Instructions
For This Report
Some Online Resources on Virtual Communities
What Are Virtual Online
Communities
Case History of An Online
Community
My Experience With Being A Member Of A Virtual Community
Significance of Virtual
Communities
Aaron Libed's Report
Deborah Welicky's Report
Conclusion
Some Online Resources on Virtual Communities
I enjoyed Storm E. Kings web site. I recommend it because I think that it is helpful in developing a better understanding of online communities and how they address psychological issues. I was especially interested in Kingâs article titled: ãAnalysis of Electronic Support Groups For Recovering Addictsä. This article was so inspiring that I tried to join one such group. It was funny because the group which I joined turned out to be a support group for computer addicts. The email message that I got said: ãHaving a support group for computer addicts on the internet is like having an AA meeting in a barä. In any case I believe it would still be beneficial. I emailed Mr. King and received a response from him with some useful information on joining online recovery groups.
In King's article: ãAnalysis of Electronic Support Groups for Recovering Addicts", King discusses the benefits of online communities which provide support to members who want to stay drug free. Most of the members also attend regular meetings of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or NA (Narcotics Anonymous). The regular, frequent contact among online members can significantly improve their ability to remain drug free and strengthen recovery programs. This was indicated by a survey which Mr. King posted among several online recovery groups. Some of the benefits are twenty four hour availability, and the thoughtfulness of replies that one receives. King indicates that there is a high level of concern for fellow members online.
In an article written with Danielle Moreggi titled:
"Internet
Therapy And Self Help Groups-The Pros And Cons" King states:
"Internet communication increases the range of possible social networks
that a person can connect to, and adds elements of diversity that are very
appealing to some." This article is very informative and offers
a wealth of information on various topics, such as; therapy online, support
groups and self-help online. The term "self-help"
could be misleading. These groups actually offer mutual aid to fellow
members and one is helped by receiving and giving help and support.
Here are some other interesting sites:
Psychology of Cyberspace Forum
This Forum is hosted by John Suler, Ph.D. and John Grohol Ph.D.. It was created to allow people to share their ideas and resources about using the internet as well as the psychology of cyberspace and online psychotherapy and counseling. People post their ideas about various topics or problems and Dr. Suler also posts replies, which are a commentary on a particular posting which may include his suggestions.
Dr. John Grohol's Mental Health Page
This site features PSYCH Central which is a mental Health page.
Here you can find links to "Chats with Dr. John". In these forums Dr. John
Grohol answers various types of questions relating to mental health, relationships,
and psychology. This page also contains links to articles written by Dr.
Grohol. One article that I thought was interesting was: "Starting
A New Online Support Group". The first thing to do when starting
an online support group, Dr. Grohol explains, is to make sure that one
is not already existing. Do this by searching in one of the three
sites listed below. State the subject which you are searching
plus support groups. Dr. Grohol used the example of heart attacks.
He searched by typing in "heart attack support groups".
Liszt (http://www.liszt.com)
For mailing list topics.
I typed in "heart attack" and found nothing.
Alta Vista Web Search Engine (http://www.altavista.digital.com)
I typed in "heart attack support group" and found a lot of articles on
heart attacks, but nothing really mentioning support groups for
survivors or the like.
Mental Health Net Subject Guide (http://www.cmhc.com)
I typed in "heart attack support group" and found nothing of use.
This information was helpful to me in learning how to search for a
particular online self help/support group.
Another article which I thought was interesting is "Sacred Life?". It is concerning suicide interventions on the internet. When a person discloses suicidal intentions on the internet, Dr. Grohol feels that it is the duty of professionals to respond. "Interventions should be focused on the short-term, crisis intervention model, where the clinician seeks to help prop up the individual's own coping strategies and resources and reaffirm a desire to live, if even for another 24 hours.. . . On-line interventions such as these have been known to save people's lives." Dr. Grohol also provides information and web addresses for support resources available on the Internet. This information would be helpful to give to a suicidal individual. One such resource is a group of volunteers who offer unconditional support to anyone who is suicidal or suffering from depression. There is no charge for the service offered by The Samaritans. One can write to The Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org. In addition to volunteers such as The Samaritans and clinicians, newsgroup peers also respond to suicidal individuals on line. In this article Dr. Grohol makes an appeal to professionals to get involved and try to save a life if they happen to encounter a suicidal individual on line.
What Are Virtual Online Communities?
Virtual communities are places where people can come together and share information on common interests online. There are a variety of purposes for virtual communities including addressing business needs, support groups, and bringing people together to communicate on a topic of mutual interest. Virtual communities are created by people who realize a need for a particular type of community and are sure that the community will have a large audience of people who are committed to the subject and feel passionately about it. A community may have editors, event planners and hosts (hosts run forums or chats). A community could also have staff who are paid to lead the operation. A successful communities members have a genuine interest in the people who are associated with it and love the topic of discussion.
Case
History of An Online Community
I enjoyed Builder.com's, "Case
study: Better Health & Medical". Better Health &
Medical was created by Elin Silveous. She was diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis and sought help and support online. She was unable to get
the services that she needed online. This caused her to realize the
need for an online community that would provide medical information and
support. Better Health and Medical features articles about health
interests as well as a live chat area. Silveous committed huge amounts
of time to growing and nurturing the community. Today, Better Health
& Medical consists of over 53 message boards and is a vital,
thriving online community. Silveous describes the community's purpose:
"Disabled people or older people who won't drive at night and might not
be able to get out can be in a mutual support group without having to leave
home. Technology breaks down barriers. There's more intimacy--people
say things online they wouldn't in person. It enables people to connect
with their core being."
Back To The Top
My Experience with being a member of
a virtual community
The first group I joined was i-a-s-g. This group is for people who are addicted to the internet. The email address for this group is i-a-s-g@netcom.com. i-a-s-g is an online community which offers support and an opportunity for people to share their problems and experiences with internet addiction. It seems that this is a relatively new phenomenon, so there is not a wide availability of people with substantial time in recovery from this sort of addiction. People that write to the forum are aware that they have a problem, and their postings are substantial evidence of this fact. This is a first step in the recovery process. Members discuss how their internet addiction affects their family life and job performance, as well as disrupting normal routines of daily living. Respondents offer support and encouragement to the writers. They offer suggestions as to ways that have helped them to curb their internet addictions. One writer stated that he is attempting to spend more time exercising and pursuing other hobbies such as playing the guitar. This is also a place where people can share information. One writer shared a web address for a mental health page. I found this site to be helpful. It is a good resource for learning about mental health issues as well as a source for discovering more online communities.
The second group that I joined is Wing Of Madness. This group
is a depression forum. People write in about various problems with
their struggle against depression. What I found touching about the
forum is the level of concern in the responses. It was difficult
for me to read the postings because it is hard for me to share in others
misery. I am not really sure if this could prove to be uplifting
for me. But the people that respond are genuinely concerned and really
do show compassion and a desire to help the people who post. Perhaps
they have learned ways to detach and transcend depression enough that they
can help others. In any case it is comforting for me to know that
this forum exists. Perhaps some day I will use it more. If
I ever start to feel crazy at least I know that there is a place that I
can go to seek solace and recovery. "Wing of Madness" is operated
by Delphi Forums. Delphi Forums
email address is: mydelphi@delphi.com.
Significance of Virtual Communities
I found an interesting article from Perspectives (an online mental health magazine). The article is titled: "The Mutual-Aid Self-Help Online Revolution". It is written by Edward Madara. This article had a lot to say about the significance of self help communities on line. I have chosen the following exerts from the Madara article to demonstrate the ways in which these communities could become significant assets in peoples lives:
A key feature of mutual help groups has been the
ability of any member to offer help and understanding to others.
Self-help groups are thriving in the new telecommunities, where it is the
common culture and the ability of any user to become a resource provider,
offering information, support or computer files to others. Many people
who were previously unable to attend traditional face-to-face self-help
groups are among those now participating in online groups. This includes
those without local groups or without transportation, those with uncommon
conditions or rare illnesses, those with previously limiting physical disabilities,
patients in hospitals or in bed at home, and caregivers with round-the-clock
responsibilities. Groups, for example, specifically for the shy,
as well as for those with severe agoraphobia, now meet regularly on all
the major commercial services.
.
Finding and Developing Support Communities Online
The search for "a sense of community" continues
to be an enduring part of American
society. But as Robert Wuthnow has pointed
out, in Sharing the Journey,
"Community is no longer something we are born
into. It is now something we must
choose." It is more easily found, chosen,
or started online. As an example, Danny M.
found support in the Disabilities Forum on
CompuServe. He continues to participate
because "when I suddenly became disabled due
to a stroke, I sought out this Forum
and found many friends, one in particular,
who helped me 'adjust' to the physical and
mental aspects of 'being disabled.' This Forum
was a lifeline for me, as I became
isolated socially after leaving my job because
of the stroke. I could not have coped
without all the wonderful people in this Forum
and all the helpful support and
information. Almost four years later, I still
seek out support here and try to help others."
The Downside of Online Networks
The major baffler to the use of online support
networks is the current lack of
universal access to them. While the federal
government previously has recognized its
role to provide communication services, from
the postal service policy of rural free
delivery to the concept of universal telephone
service promoted by the
Communications Act of 1934, existing telecommunications
legislation has only
addressed access to the extent of making it
affordable for schools, libraries and rural
hospitals. While libraries and schools can
serve as appropriate sites for public use
and training, they are not a substitute for
widespread home access.
Populations such
as the poor, the severely disabled, the chronically ill, and their
caregivers stand to gain much from universal
access. Additional technological
advances such as homecare telemedicine could
then be more easily implemented
through universal home access. The result
is a widening gap between the
"information poor" and the "information wealthy."
More active advocacy efforts are
needed.
The above three paragraphs (taken from the Madara article) illustrate the significance of online support communities. Madara also expresses the need for greater advocacy in making these resources available to populations such as the poor and disabled. Stories such as those of Danny M.'s describe the life-giving effects that this type of support can provide.
In a recent lecture on autism at UH Manoa (10-28-98), Dr. Dale Fryxell discussed the significance of online support groups in the lives of people who are autistic. Problems associated with autism include difficulty in communication with others. People with autism have started online support groups and found that it is easier to communicate with others using this medium. This allows them to share information and give/receive support to/from other people with autism. It is my belief that the therapeutic value of a person with a disability helping /communicating with another person with that same disability is with out parallel. That is because of the level of understanding and empathy which they share.
Mr. Libed's Report on Virtual Online Communities provided me with a good orientation into the world of virtual communities. Mr. Libed discusses various types of communities and describes how and why they are formed. He also provides an interesting section on the online community which he is a member of and provides tips to future generations.
I enjoyed Deborah Welicky's Report, "Psychology of Online Virtual Relationships, An Examination of Opinions". Ms. Welicky's section "What are Virtual Relationships?", explains that virtual relationships are formed and cultivated in virtual reality. These relationships lack a physical connection but are none-the-less effective. Relationships created in virtual reality can progress at at different levels (mental, emotional and spiritual) than those in which there is a physical connection. Ms. Welicky's report provides a lot of information. She also has a good resource section at the end of the report. Among other topics, she also discusses muds and moos.
The best way to improve upon this report would be for future generations to get involved in online communities of their own choosing. Then share their experiences with others. It is an amazing and wide world available out there online. Perhaps your experiences can benefit others. I am sure that they can if you have an interest in this. Well, as Esther Dyson says, "Don't take life too seriously". Perhaps there exists a humor community online where one can go and find links to good laughs. I am sure it is out there somewhere.
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