Depending on your age you may or may not remember a time in which there was very little technology. I recall a time before individuals had computers or cell phones. Kids got together to play outside from early morning until they were called home for dinner. Adults sat on their front porches and visited with family and friends. People knew the names and faces of all their neighbors. Individuals trusted one another and did not feel a need to lock their front door or to keep their travel plans a secret. There was a strong sense of community. Over the years things have definitely changed. Today, kids seem content with staying inside playing video games, texting their friends and surfing the internet. Fewer and fewer people are relaxing on their front porches. I only know the name of one of my neighbors and many of my friends not only lock their doors but also have a home security system. Local organizations such as the Rotary Club or Lions Club have been struggling to find new members, especially members from younger generations. When the community does occasionally hold an event of some kind, it is often viewed as something you attend only when you have nothing better to do. Why? The world around us has changed and continues to change and the sense of community we once had has changed as well.
This week’s lesson commentary defines a community as an interrelated group of individuals (2015). Using this definition, communities have existed in one way or another since humans first roamed the earth. Throughout the 1900s many people probably associated the word community with the town or county in which they lived and interactions often occurred face-to-face. Today, this may or may not be the case. The invention of the internet has opened the door for virtual communities in which individuals with similar hobbies, opinions, etc. can interact with one another even if they never meet in person (PSU WC, L11, 2015). Furthermore, individuals are no longer limited to communities within their geographic area and the size of many modern communities are often much larger in size than they once were (PSU WC, L11, 2015).
Larger sized communities often create “stimulus overload” which occurs when more information exists than our brains can process at a given point in time (Schneider et al., 2002). When there is more information available than we can handle, our bodies often block out stimuli deemed insignificant in order to focus on stimuli perceived as important (Schneider et al., 2002). This can in turn lead to a diffusion of responsibility because we might be blocking out someone’s cry for help or we simply assume that with plenty of other people around, someone else will be able to help (Schneider et al., 2002). As communities have evolved, programs and organizations have been formed to help people in times of need which may also result in a diffusion of responsibility as individuals no longer feel obligated to help (Schenider et al., 2002). Stimulus overload can therefore lead to a detachment from one’s social environment which might in turn decrease one’s sense of community (PSU WC, L11, 2015).
Mobility is another reason people might perceive a reduction in the number of community minded individuals. In the past, communities typically remained fairly unchanged with the exception of births and deaths. Families did not usually pick up and move across the country for a new job. Today, after a number of enhancements (i.e. transportation and technology), people have become much more mobile (PSU WC, L11, 2015). As a result, a town that use to consist primarily of individuals from the same ethnic and religious background may now have a much more diverse population (PSU WC, L11, 2015). Also, mobility can result in individuals not living close to family and friends and make it much harder for everyone to get to know their neighbors.
The world around us has changed and continues to change every day. Individuals are now more mobile and are able to join and participate in both face-to-face and virtual communities. Therefore, the sense of community we once had is not completely lost, rather it has evolved over time and is simply different than ever before.
References
Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (2015). Lesson 11: Community. PSYCH424: Applied Social Psychology.
Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
It is sometimes difficult to keep up with just how fast modern communities are changing. Ten to fifteen years ago, researchers were sure that Internet and cell phone use would lead to increased social isolation, less shared physical activity, and less face-to-face interaction between members of any given community. While it is unfortunately true that knowing your neighbors has in many places become a relic of the past, current research suggests that the Internet can be a positive tool that connects individuals and organizations with a broader and more diverse range of social contacts. Social networks allow us to branch out in novel ways, keep in touch with loved ones, and make new friends. It’s true that many children today are more likely to play video games than play outside, but I see this as a problem with parenting rather than the evils of technology. We must find ways to adapt in a healthy way to technological advances, and use them in our favor.