The internet and online communities

Tut 6: The Internet and online communities

For this post I am going to carry on with the theme from my last post as I really have a passion for the topic of art therapy. For this post I am required to discuss the idea of internet and online communities. There are many communities on the net at present but here are three of the ones that I think are some of the best.

http://www.facebook.com/ArtTherapyBlog

https://twitter.com/#!/arttherapy

http://www.arttherapyblog.com/

The Art therapy blog-

This site was created for people that are qualified art therapist but I have found it really interesting as an OT in training and have got many ideas from the web page. The site in very interactive because of the nature of it! Art therapy is all about getting in there and having ago and so is this webpage. By subscribing to the pages news feeds you can be kept up to date with the different ideas etc. that pop up on the page. Anybody can comment on the content but name and email etc. must be given at the time. People share ideas for different techniques that can be used within art therapy and things that their clients have created also.

Facebook- Art therapy blog-

This is another version of the same blog from above but that different people are connected to on the Facebook network. Many people find that Facebook is easier to use than a blog page simply because everything is always that same on Facebook were as with blogs the formats etc. can be different. People are free to comment on what ever they like on this page and the page can be “liked” so that there logo is present on your own private Facebook page.

Twitter art therapy-

This is again by the same people as the above to but in a different manner. This is more a quick fire comment site that lets other people you are connected with exactly what you are thinking or doing at that point in time. It is very interactive as there is always something being said or a video being posted. People must be a twitter member to join this group and from there anyone can comment on this account.

I believe that people choose to post comments or pictures on such websites as Twitter or Facebook because of a need to share knowledge with others. People seek knowledge as the need to learn is intrinsic as Knowles stated in his theory on adult learners (Wong, Graham and Hosking, 2008). In terms of occupation deprivation I think that these blogs are relevant in two ways. One that not all people that need to get information about art therapy may have the internet and therefore are deprived of the subject. Secondly, that some of the people that can benefit from art therapy are physical be unable to express themselves through art. Occupational disruption on the other hand is very much a part of blogging as computers and the internet cannot always be trusted or relied upon (as I just found out the hard way!).

However, many issues arise with the concept of blogging and online communities simply because any one can post anything they want to. In some cases posts may be removed but at the end of the day does the person who posted that comment get punished? No, they do not. Accountability of actions is totally different in the real world as to what it is in cyber space. What’s the worst that’s going to happen if you write “such n such is a dirty rotten #*%@!” you get blocked from the page and there is really no love lost there. Another example of issues surrounding online communities is that of identity. It was only last week that on the Australian based telly series “Neighbours” (cringe) that an older gentleman decided that he would make up a fake profile on Facebook just to get someone into trouble. That’s the issue! Anyone can say they are you or someone that you know when in reality they are sitting in the office on the other side of the world thinking “aw yup I’ve got this girl”. SCARY! Although there are a few negative issues around internet communities I must say that to be able to communicate with another human on the other side of the world in seconds is amazing. Now we as students of occupational therapy can openly communicate with our sister school in Hamilton regarding stresses about exams etc. I have no idea who these people are but I know they are going through the same things as I am. This is all because on an internet community called Facebook.

References

Wong, B., Graham, L, & Hoskyn, M. (2008).  The ABCs of Learning Disabilities. Elsevier Acedemic Press: USA.

http://www.facebook.com/ArtTherapyBlog

https://twitter.com/#!/arttherapy

http://www.arttherapyblog.com/