Introduction One of the biggest shifts that is taking place on the web is the idea that online spaces are public and can be places where we socialise. Often referred to as online communities, these social spaces on the web are often sources of support for young people where they can share their thoughts and feelings, from the most intimate to the most controversial. These communities bring together young people with common interests, passions or concerns that might otherwise not have had the chance to get to know each other. At the same time, these communities can be places where young people are challenged to question their own preconceptions about the world. Online communities despite being communities of interest are often places of great diversity. They bring young people into contact with those who may hold opinions or have had experiences which are incredibly different to their own. For youth information workers interested in thinking through how they reach young people in need, understanding how young people are active on online communities is really important. Getting to know how young people discuss online the kinds of issues you tackle with your services, can help you better understand the needs of the young people you work with. Engaging with online communities can also help raise awareness about your work. You could foster or develop online communities of your own, alongside your services, where young people can get more of a chance to directly feedback on the work you do or even help deliver these services themselves as volunteers. How does web technology change the way we communicate with others? When we communicate face to face with someone, we don’t depend on any piece of technology. If, on the other hand, we pick up the phone and call a friend, our communication is suddenly dependent on the technology we use. For example, telephones are great for talking at any time with people who are based many hundreds of kilometres away. However, the phone is not so good at getting across our facial expressions or body language. It’s the same thing when we communicate by instant messenger, by email or by posting on a forum or social network. These technologies come with opportunities to communicate in ways we couldn’t have done as easily, if at all before they existed. But, at the same time each new piece of technology comes with new limitations that we often learn only through experience. For example, you don’t really understand the potential to be embarrassed by email, until you’ve sent your parents an email by mistake which you meant to send to your girlfriend or boyfriend. Just how the web is affecting how we relate socially to one another, is something that is only recently becoming obvious. You don’t understand the possibilities of posting a video on YouTube until you find out more about the story of Matt Harding dancing his way round the world. It is harder to understand the risks of creating a video of yourself impersonating a Star Wars character, once it is posted to the web. As young people are having to navigate these emerging opportunities and risks, one thing that can help them do this is their sense of belonging to online communities of other young people facing the same challenges.
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