Virtual environments and digital interactions are becoming increasingly central to our lives, and with that, comes a host of questions: Do online communities influence our identity? To what extent? So, this week on Self-Improvement Atlas: The Personal Science Insights Podcast, host Marie Stella Quek is joined by Dr. Vanessa Dennen to learn more about online communities and its effect on our self-identity

As professor of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies at Florida State University, Dr. Vanessa Dennen’s research investigates the cognitive, motivational, and social elements of computer-mediated communication. Specifically, she concentrates on three major issues: learner engagement in online discussion activities, identity development, knowledge management and knowledge brokering within online networks and communities of practice, as well as ethical issues related to computer-mediated learning.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Dennen reveals that there are two types of engagement—passive and active—that equally contribute to both an individual’s identity development and online communities. That aside, she cites search engines like Google, and social media platforms like Facebook, as decent entry points for locating niche forums with strong communities.

Together, Marie Stella Quek and Dr. Vanessa Dennen address the common misconception that online communities are merely echo chambers that spiral into negativity, as well as risks associated with forming identities through virtual spaces.

So, tune in to this episode for a thought-provoking discussion about what you can do for an online community and more importantly, what an online community can do for you.

Visit Dr. Vanessa Dennen’s work: https://vanessadennen.com/

Produced by the Personal Science Labs, a division of LMSL, the Life Management Science Labs.

Explore https://lifemanagementsciencelabs.com/ to learn more about LMSL and visit https://personal.lifemanagementsciencelabs.com/ for more information about Personal Science labs.

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