What are the differences between your "virtual" community and your real community?

Question

- apart from the obvious, LOL!

By virtual community I mean people you know only online. By real community I of course mean the people who live around you, your neighbours, friends, local services, etc.

Do you feel that you belong to a virtual community?

Here or somewhere else?

Does your virtual community give you as much, more, or less support than your real community?

Answer 1

I haven't spoken to people online in years . I no longer want a virtual community ... real life is all I need .

Answer 2

Home is real, commuter is almost real if you let it although you know there are strange people out there

Answer 3

I would real e have to say virtualy nothing

Answer 4

There are no rules or boundries online

Answer 5

Strange I don't really know people here I just come to understand myself listen to my own answers poke about in my unconscious. I think I only know two people by 'name' te people I admire.

That is pretty much the same in my normal community though I rarely interact with anyone aside from my partner.

And Friends on another island that I keep  in touch with by phone.

I am scared of going out in my 'real' community as I fear being hurt.

here I am learning to not take anything personally and I have time to make a measured response.

I live in sheltered accommodation and last week a group of 10 lads banged on my car whilst I was in it and the effect  was htat I took  off at a great speed, something I would never normally do. That sort of intimidation and response is minimized here.  

In the 'real' world. I dissociate loads of the time- here I don't its patently - only words.

I am as real here as I am in the 'real' community.

No I don't feel that I belong to this community nobody asks after me but I feel  as accepted as everyone else.

Actually once someone noticed my post in football and answered another question with a little reference to my team nad it was really nice.

I live in a small community and am known to have mental health difference and also to be an outsider by place of birth.It matters - here it doesn't only my answers matter.



I think here online gives me a confidence that my community is not able to give out because of their fear of me. I also get answers here, about why they are as they are.

In my 'real' community I reckon each interaction has a 50/50 chance of being overwhelming for me here its now pain-free.