Electronic communication or electronic communities: (Un)common messages from 'Generation Y'

摘要

'Generation Y' (sometimes abbreviated as 'Gen-Y', which could be identified as the 15-25 year olds possessing advanced computer skills) find themselves 'at home' when communicating/expressing themselves by using the interactive media, such as (mobile) e-mail, SMSs (Short Message Services, i.e. short text messages that can be exchanged through the mobile phone networks), blogs, instant messaging software, etc. The issue of feeling 'at home' with interpreting the social world in terms of electronically mediated interaction is often mixed (or even confusing) with the 'Gen-Y' (in)ability for more 'traditional' forms of social interaction. Therefore, it is important to raise the question of whether the theories/models of electronic community apply to electronic communication, as this might imply that the 'Gen-Y' just has a different outlook to social issues and community building than defined by the 'traditional' social approaches (if such things exist).