Joining a Community

Blog 6: What is joining a community like? What is an example of a community you joined in the

past and what steps did you take?

Joining a community is often something we are hesitant to do. We fear being “the new kid” or not fitting in. At the same time, joining a community is very exciting. It is an opportunity to try something new, to branch out and experience new things. We may meet new people, make new friends, or broaden our horizons in some way. We align ourselves to a new set of rules and/or morals, learning the ways of the community and how to fit them into our lifestyles. We let certain aspects of the community inspire us to change the way we are.

The most recent community I joined was Facebook. First, I had to sign up, putting in my email and birthday and other information. Then I had the opportunity to put a profile picture up, and I chose my senior picture. Next I was given the option of putting in where I work, live, go to school, and graduated from, as well as my interests and political orientation. I bypassed most of these boxes, not wanting to put too much of myself on the internet. The final step in creating a profile for Facebook was to find and choose friends to communicate with via Facebook. I started with only a few friends, but quickly accumulated many friends from my high school and relatives. As I explored Facebook, I learned that people post pictures and general updates from their days, as well as asking for prayers for people they know that are sick. They also post about the happy things in their lives, and share the general goings-on in their respective families. I learned that Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family from distant places, to keep people posted about what is going on in my life, and to share the exciting things that happen to