1/ I’ve concluded there are 4 types of relationships meatspace communities can have with digitization, which I call a) Circled Wagons, b) Resurrected, c) Atomized, and d) Precipitated.
Conversation
2/ Circled Wagon communities were never fragmented by digitization because they were homogenous, immobile, and geographically compact. They’ve been largely turned into de facto alt-reality cults in response to digital forces.
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3/ Resurrected communities are ones torn apart by digital forces, but have consciously reforged themselves. What didn’t kill them made them stronger. Well digitized workplaces that foster IRL communities while using slack/video conference/flex work are examples.
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4/ Atomized communities are ones that were torn apart by digital forces but couldn’t pull themselves back together again. Urban apartment communities are an example. Once digital tools made it easier to maintain deeper online-first relationships, neighborly communities broke down
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Replying to
I don't agree with #4. There's strong evidence that atomization predated your assertion of "digital forces pulling them apart". Putnam's research shows this trend well advanced in the period 1975-2000 bowlingalone.com - digital as catalyst maybe, not as primary cause.
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Replying to
Yeah, it predates (I cited Bowling Alone in similar earlier tweets) but for the last 25 years, almost a whole generation, digital forces have been the prime driver.
During Bowling Alone times it was different and weaker forces.
Replying to
I hear you however still prefer "catalyst" to "driver" as 1. Forces were already well advanced 2. Multi-causal in their origin 3. Accelerated greatly by digital but not initiated by it. I know I'm splitting hairs but that's what we do here!
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