Book contents
- Graphic
- Graphic
- Copyright page
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Figures
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Interviewees
- Introduction
- 1 A Short Summary of a Long History of Graphic Witnessing
- 2 Images and Our Bodies
- 3 Images and Identity
- 4 Agency and Control
- 5 Community as a Protective Force
- 6 Meaning in Our Online Lives
- 7 Policy and Practice
- Afterword
- Note on Images, Identity, and Social Justice
- Suggested Reading
5 - Community as a Protective Force
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 August 2023
- Graphic
- Graphic
- Copyright page
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Figures
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Interviewees
- Introduction
- 1 A Short Summary of a Long History of Graphic Witnessing
- 2 Images and Our Bodies
- 3 Images and Identity
- 4 Agency and Control
- 5 Community as a Protective Force
- 6 Meaning in Our Online Lives
- 7 Policy and Practice
- Afterword
- Note on Images, Identity, and Social Justice
- Suggested Reading
Summary
One of the most powerful ways to counter the isolation that often accompanies social media use – whether that use is professional or personal – is to foster community. That community can take various forms. For researchers and online investigators, it may mean working collaboratively or celebrating the cultures of those you are researching. For everyday users of social media, community may mean reaching out to others to talk about what you’re observing or to share your thoughts and feelings online. However, not all attempts to develop a sense of community are equally beneficial: According to recent research, for example, venting can have positive or negative effects, depending on how the user engages. In this chapter, the authors discuss what is known about effective ways to combat the isolation that can be endemic to online engagement, and how to proactively foster community in online and offline spaces to minimize the risk of psychological harm and maximize psychosocial well-being.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- GraphicTrauma and Meaning in Our Online Lives, pp. 73 - 85Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023