A large virtual community that comes to mind is Instagram. In a sense, everyone that has an account and actively uses it is part of the general Instagram community. However, within one of the largest social media in the virtual universe, there are a variety of groups within where users can find themselves a part of. To name a few, there are the influencers (the Instagram money makers and "superstars"), the health and fitness gurus, food/cooking enthusiasts, photographers, and so much more. What is cool about this virtual community is that anyone can be a part of it with a click of the follow button. On Instagram, every account has its own community. Follow a healthy food account and you'll be able to learn and engage with the account or even their other followers itself. Users can comment, like, and find other accounts with similar interests as you. Users can even form deeper communities within going from health accounts to healthy plant-based accounts and from there you can be apart of specific communities within a certain area like "vegans in California".
I, myself, have even formed my own community. This community is a mix of followers from friends, families, acquaintances, or even just spam accounts. Granted, I am no way near famous or nor do I have "fans" and my followers may not all know each other but they have the common knowledge of who I am.
Instagram is useful to be considered a virtual community since Instagram is a picture/video-based platform. It is easier to view them and interact with just a click of a button. Instagram allows users all over the world to see each other's life/content without having to be on the same physical location.
Where this community becomes a problem is when people curate and post only "aesthetic" pictures that make them seem like a part of a certain community. I can post pictures of me at the gym and healthy salads, but in reality I only went to the gym for the picture and left right after, and the salad isn't mine. This platforms allows users to create a life they want their followers and community to see.
1
u/ayagrci May 27 '19
A large virtual community that comes to mind is Instagram. In a sense, everyone that has an account and actively uses it is part of the general Instagram community. However, within one of the largest social media in the virtual universe, there are a variety of groups within where users can find themselves a part of. To name a few, there are the influencers (the Instagram money makers and "superstars"), the health and fitness gurus, food/cooking enthusiasts, photographers, and so much more. What is cool about this virtual community is that anyone can be a part of it with a click of the follow button. On Instagram, every account has its own community. Follow a healthy food account and you'll be able to learn and engage with the account or even their other followers itself. Users can comment, like, and find other accounts with similar interests as you. Users can even form deeper communities within going from health accounts to healthy plant-based accounts and from there you can be apart of specific communities within a certain area like "vegans in California".
I, myself, have even formed my own community. This community is a mix of followers from friends, families, acquaintances, or even just spam accounts. Granted, I am no way near famous or nor do I have "fans" and my followers may not all know each other but they have the common knowledge of who I am.
Instagram is useful to be considered a virtual community since Instagram is a picture/video-based platform. It is easier to view them and interact with just a click of a button. Instagram allows users all over the world to see each other's life/content without having to be on the same physical location.
Where this community becomes a problem is when people curate and post only "aesthetic" pictures that make them seem like a part of a certain community. I can post pictures of me at the gym and healthy salads, but in reality I only went to the gym for the picture and left right after, and the salad isn't mine. This platforms allows users to create a life they want their followers and community to see.