That's the question, isn't it? The answer presents itself if the question is rephrased as 'why do people create networks?' In a nutshell, the answer is socializing. Then again, there is no human 'touch' when one is online but it seems, the virtual presence is enough! The nascent research field of haptics could well put an end to the lack of touch, but that's for a future post.
To continue this post, let me repeat an age-old cliche: Man is a social animal. When I heard this the first time in primary school, I did not realize its complex ramifications. Then years later, when I dabbled in psychology, I read about the horrors of solitary confinement. I was surprised to know that even hardened criminals dread 'the hole'; some even go mad in there. It was only years later that I could put the two seemingly uncorrelated facts together and appreciate the necessity of social interaction for the survival of the human species.
Aspiring to be part of a group is not just a survival tactic but its a far more fundamental drive. It is as basic a need as food and water. Typecasting this drive as a conscious effort to improve one's chance of survival is a Darwinian outlook but more pertinently, it is a wrong outlook. The correct term for this drive would be a 'basic need'; not a 'tactic for success'. It so happens that individuals who are part of a group do much better in terms of surviving therefore the Darwin school of thought gives such individuals 'credit' for choosing to be part of a group. This is a typical example of an erroneous a-posteriori conclusion.
Paradoxically, the same people who love to blog, also like to hold steadfast to their views in their weblogs (just as I am doing here!). It would be logical to expect controversies emanating over a weblogger's views and opinions. This could be seen as compromising the blogger's chances of success in online interaction. This tendency to assert one's views is usually put down to establishing one's identity; in other words, creating personality at the cost of social acceptance.
In the complex dimension of needs and drives, every concept is intertwined with its apparent counterpart. At times, the intertwining is so intimate that it seems impossible to tell them apart; at such times, the counterpart appears complementary - just like the drive to socialize while maintaining one's identity and individuality!
To continue this post, let me repeat an age-old cliche: Man is a social animal. When I heard this the first time in primary school, I did not realize its complex ramifications. Then years later, when I dabbled in psychology, I read about the horrors of solitary confinement. I was surprised to know that even hardened criminals dread 'the hole'; some even go mad in there. It was only years later that I could put the two seemingly uncorrelated facts together and appreciate the necessity of social interaction for the survival of the human species.
Aspiring to be part of a group is not just a survival tactic but its a far more fundamental drive. It is as basic a need as food and water. Typecasting this drive as a conscious effort to improve one's chance of survival is a Darwinian outlook but more pertinently, it is a wrong outlook. The correct term for this drive would be a 'basic need'; not a 'tactic for success'. It so happens that individuals who are part of a group do much better in terms of surviving therefore the Darwin school of thought gives such individuals 'credit' for choosing to be part of a group. This is a typical example of an erroneous a-posteriori conclusion.
Paradoxically, the same people who love to blog, also like to hold steadfast to their views in their weblogs (just as I am doing here!). It would be logical to expect controversies emanating over a weblogger's views and opinions. This could be seen as compromising the blogger's chances of success in online interaction. This tendency to assert one's views is usually put down to establishing one's identity; in other words, creating personality at the cost of social acceptance.
In the complex dimension of needs and drives, every concept is intertwined with its apparent counterpart. At times, the intertwining is so intimate that it seems impossible to tell them apart; at such times, the counterpart appears complementary - just like the drive to socialize while maintaining one's identity and individuality!
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