Social media and the re-evaluation of the terms "community", "virtual community" and "virtual identity" as concepts of analysis

In this article the authors examine the concepts of community, virtual community and virtual identity and consider if they have any continued relevancy as analytic terms in relation to social media. Firstly, the authors trace the origins of\r\nthe term 'community' and contextualize its interpretation arguing that the term has political overtones. They then consider the notion of 'virtual communities' and suggest a working definition for this term. Thereafter they consider virtual identities. Finally, they contend that while the categories are deeply rooted in a particular understanding of communication, community and identity they do offer some very useful terms of analysis for social media. Keywords: Community, Social Media, Virtual Community, Virtual Identity