Supportive Online Communities

As an introvert, I find it much easier to communicate through writing. When I was younger I would write letters to pen-pals, and then once I had access to the internet, I wrote emails instead. I can remember when I first got my own email address, and I would exchange those questionnaires/quizzes that were popular with all my friends. I shared way more in those emails than I ever did in any face-to-face conversations. I have had similar experiences with newer platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

My first experience with an online community was in my freshman year of high school. I became a member of an online forum for the creative writing class I was taking. The members of the forum were from all over the United States, and England as well. What made the forum so successful was that the members all had a current interest: writing a novel. While the main point of the forum was to discuss weekly lessons, there were also sections for talking about movies, books, and other fun topics. This was a very safe atmosphere because most of the members were the same age (no one older than 19), and there was a moderator who made sure content remained appropriate. The forum allowed me to find people with similar interests and interact with methods that were within my comfort zone.

In our class readings the concepts of online disinhibition have had negative connotations (which in some cases are understandable), though I think there are some positives that go along with those concepts. I have found aspects of impression management and anonymity useful in my own use of social media, not for promoting a fake persona, but in feeling more comfortable with being myself. In "real" life instances I would often struggle with feeling like what I had to say was not important or that people were not listening to me. Online interactions however, made it easier for me to articulate my thoughts better, and the responses I would get from others were of a much higher quality. Online communication and social media platforms have been extremely helpful for broadening my own confidence, and has actually improved the quality of my face-to-face/"real" life interactions with others.

Currently, I am a member of a "support" group called "Go Teen Writers Community," on Facebook. I'm not a teen anymore, so I may have to find another alternative soon. However, it is very similar to the forum I was a part of in high school. Members can post questions about characters or plot ideas that they are working on. On the weekends members are allowed to promote their websites or blogs, or post links to works that they've published.

I think one of the main reasons I've had such good experiences with online communication and social media is because I have tapped into a niche. The forums I've been a part of have all been focused towards creative writing and publishing, and the accounts that I use more regularly on Twitter and Instagram are my bookstagram focused accounts. This has allowed me to somewhat filter the connections I make and the conversations I have. For others who may be using social media platforms for other purposes may deal with more of the negative aspects, though that has not been my personal experience.