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Entity shares how the Internet will change human nature.

For every interest a person can have, there are probably about a dozen internet communities specializing in that interest. Facebook groups, Tumblr, Reddit, Instagram and even more traditional blogs have connected billions in only a few short decades. But what is it doing to us? 

As information is made available through the internet, online communities pop up in tandem. The relative ease of joining a virtual community, however, does not come without drawbacks.

Past articles such as this 2011 NPR article and research like this 2007 MIT Study address how, despite the opportunity to socialize with people across the world, internet users tend to stick with the same social groups and norms as they do in real life. There are also some people on the internet who use its virtual cloak to bully other users.  

As with any worldwide trend, there will be delays and trouble, but the essential characteristics of computer-based interactions will ultimately move us away from the stereotypical vision of high school cliques and into an open and worldwide community.

While the internet is a growing and vibrant hub of information that changes and helps our society move forward, cliques are easily defined exclusive groups. They are social clusters that congregate based on shared interests, location and sometimes social or economic status. This implies the necessity of physical credentials. So when you think of the typical popular girl, you have a vivid image: Bright pink, fancy car and possessions. For the nerd: Glasses and, if you want to get really stereotypical, suspenders, pocket protectors.

But the anonymous aspect of the internet means that not only are people likely to be bolder in joining communities they may not have joined in real life, but they are more likely to be accepted. This means the online community builds relationships based on character and behavior, which is a far more stable platform. 

Open access aside, all these different online niches are not always at peace with each other. Even within online communities there can be strife. There can also definitely be tension between different online platforms. There is competition and fighting, but online people can be completely honest. People can say exactly what is on their minds, for better or worse, and directly confront a group if they don’t agree with something. The group can then see how they are viewed by others and either act on or disregard the information. 

Of course, the internet is not a perfect trifecta of anonymity, availability and dedication. People often act far more cruel online that they ever would face-to-face. There are communities that are founded on and dedicated to bigoted or racist ideals.

But there is potential online. We may have a ways to go before arriving at the end product, but the internet provides the tools to make online communities more inclusive than traditional cliques. One day, they will change the way we think about socializing with others, a way that is based more on character and interests than on social status, ethnicity or location. Eventually, people from around the world will move forward into a more honest and diverse form of socializing with each other.

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