User:AlicjaLais/sandbox

An online community is a group of people interacting with each other virtually, usually through the use of a variety of devices with internet access. In the case of most platforms, one has to create an online profile to become a member. There are different ways in which online communities can be benefitted from. They can act as a place to share feelings and opinions, a place where one can make friends without necessarily making commitments, or a place to share memorable moments. In light of that, different types of online communities can be seen.

Social networking sites
Social networking sites play an important role in the emergence of online communities. They provide a space for a community to gather and generate discussions regarding the common interests of the members. Nowadays, with the emergence of the Web 2.0, social networking sites are increasingly more popular among people. People use social networking sites for various purposes. Some use it to keep in touch with their friends or relatives away from home, others use it to facilitate the sharing of various materials or to meet friends with common interests. Apart from aiding the emergence of social networking sites, Web 2.0 also enables people to not only read but also contribute and respond to the content online thereby allowing them to participate in the collective process of gathering various perspectives on a certain topic. This is possible through the function of commenting, liking, reacting, or reposting content that is seen on a certain website.

Knowledge sharing
One of the purposes of online communities is knowledge sharing. Nowadays many universities use various platforms such as Edmodo, Wikispaces or even Facebook to facilitate the circulation of study material or notes. This is happening due to the fact that nowadays young people use social media not only to communicate but also to find information. On the other hand, universities use social media to extend their brand and to reach their target, which is the youth. Apart from that, knowledge sharing through social media also facilitates the correction or any type of amendment to the study material such as notes or readings. It also enables the gathering of various perspectives to a certain issue due to the array of functions that such platforms provide, such as sharing, reposting, liking and commenting on the content posted.

Dangers
Although online platforms are gaining popularity through facilitating many aspects of our lives, there are also dangers involved with being a member of an online community. Some examples of such involve online trolling, submission to peer pressure in negative contexts or cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can take different forms ranging from sending derrogatory or threatening comments to spreading rumors or content that is offensive or embarrassing (in form of pictures, videos or posts on social networking sites). Despite arguments online not having much of an impact on the physical social relations of the user, they do influence their real life. The potential outcomes of online bullying include depression, anxiety or substance abuse among others. For this reason members of online communities should be aware of the way an online community works and in particular what should be shared and what should not. In addition, the users of these platforms should keep in mind the extent of their responsibility for the content they post.