"Nearer to Being Characters in a Book": How Older People Make Sense of Online Communities and Social Networking Sites

This study looked at the relationship between local and online forms of community engagement for a small group of older people in the South of England. Interviews and a focus group were used to establish their understandings of online community and social networking sites (SNS) within the context of existing relationships in local communities. Past experiences of local community influenced expectations for online community and its authenticity. At the same time four catalysts were identified which motivated engagement with community resources both online and locally. These were: 'spaces and places', family, roles and loss. A sense of 'real' community was maintained through meeting people face to face with online communities and SNS being used predominantly as tools for achieving this aim. Exploration of the catalysts offers ways that greater community involvement might be further facilitated through design initiatives that make online community feel more 'real' to older users.