Online communities, a fad?

While sites such as Facebook.com and Myspace.com have revolutionized online communities and the way in which we interact through new media, the novelty of these trendy online communities is wearing off.

Recently, media outlets such as the San Francisco chronicle have begun to focus on this phenomenon. In the Thursday, November 2, 2006 article titled “Social sites becoming too much of a good thing. Many young folks burning out on online sharing,” Ellen Lee discuses this phenomenon. She states that people just do not have the time to invest in these online communities anymore. While it was new, people spent hours connecting and customizing their pages but now they are realizing that there are other ways to spend their time.

Though one group of people may reduce their use of certain online communities, a new generation of users file in right behind them. These online communities enable students to bond and create a virtual network of friends that would be difficult otherwise. While these communities have their first signs of age, they are constantly adapting to the newest trends and will survive as culture evolves.