INDIVIDUUM UND GEMEINSCHAFT IM ZEITALTER DER VERNETZUNG - Netzwerkidentität und mediatisierte Gemeinschaften
THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY IN THE AGE OF CONNECTIVITY - Networked Identity and Mediated Communities

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine how new communication technologies are reshaping the relationship between the individual and the community within network society. In the era of digital communication, individuals simultaneously participate in global and local communities while their identities become increasingly complex and fluid. The paper reviews the concepts of networked individualism, glocality, and mediated communities, paying particular attention to the theoretical contributions of Joshua Meyrowitz, Kenneth J. Gergen, Mark Poster, Nicola Green, and Howard Rheingold. The analysis demonstrates that the distinction between virtual and physical communities is becoming increasingly blurred, giving rise to new hybrid forms of community. One of the defining characteristics of network society is that individuals enjoy greater freedom in shaping their social relationships, while the experience of belonging remains a fundamental human need. The paper concludes that digital communication does not lead to the disappearance of communities but rather to their transformation.

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