Staying Connected to the Community

Despite growing up in an age dominated by the introduction of the internet, there have been times when I've been resistant to these changes in information exchange. Partially because the internet removes the need for face to face contact in order to obtain information, but also because the internet cannot replace real life experience.

However, it is starting to become apparent to me that perhaps the internet has a great potential to connect isolated individuals and groups. In Technology and the Circumpolar Village, V. Alia states "...new technologies could link with old ways and support an array of Inuit-run cultural literacy and communications projects." (Alia, 140). The internet could be a culturally unifying force.

What made me realize the truth of this idea was when I stumbled upon the CBC radio 3 website (http://radio3.cbc.ca) . I have always been a music fan, but have been disappointed in the dominant medias' (MuchMusic and MTV) representation of emerging Canadian artists. What CBC has done for Canadian music is create a centralized community, representative of artists from across the country, and dedicated to getting Canadian talent recognized. This creates a 'community of Canadian music', strengthening the connection of even isolated individuals to Canadian artistic expression.