When reading a post in wired this morning on how online friends are almost as valuable as real family, a phrase from such a meeting yesterday pops up. I saw a previous post to this yesterday morning, but didn’t bother to read it. Young people identify with their online community almost as much as their own family is so obvious to me that I don’t need to read a post about it. It’s superfluous information, maybe good to remember sometimes if you will need to convince someone else.
Now the phrase added to my mind yesterday was ‘The online community life is as real as the physical life’.
This statement is so much more interesting. It’s the reason. If you accept this reason it is also evident and self-explaining that people spending much time in a community, feeling support and feedback from others, building up an identity both visual and mental probably feel that this is as big part of their lives.
Also if you know that for example Stardoll was created as a resource or a refuge from the intriguing and tensed school yards and homes that often cause young girls a lot of disruptions and dissatisfactions, then it’s no wonder that they feel more safe and comfortable in their online community life than at the dinner table or in the classroom.
I can't even call online for virtual anymore. Virtual life is as real as... the rest of my life.
Please flip in Alicjaf13’s Album to be amazed by how much time she puts on her online Stardoll friends and identity and there is no doubt anymore. Also remember that the background images don’t exist, she put them together from hundreds of other objects. She has spent weeks on this Album only. More time and for the moment maybe even more love than her own family.