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The term netizen is a
portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsEnglish English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
word A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no conse ...
s ''
internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...
'' and ''
citizen Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
'', as in a "citizen of the net" or "net citizen". It describes a person actively involved in online communities or the Internet in general.''The Net and Netizens by Michael Hauben''
, Columbia University.
The term commonly also implies an interest and active engagement in improving the internet, making it an intellectual and a social resource, or its surrounding political structures, especially in regard to
open access Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which research outputs are distributed online, free of access charges or other barriers. With open access strictly defined (according to the 2001 definition), or libre op ...
,
net neutrality Network neutrality, often referred to as net neutrality, is the principle that Internet service providers (ISPs) must treat all Internet communications equally, offering users and online content providers consistent rates irrespective of co ...
and
free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...
. The term was widely adopted in the mid-1990s as a way to describe those who inhabit the new geography of the internet. Internet pioneer and author Michael F. Hauben is credited with coining and popularizing the term.


Determining factor

In general, any individual who has access to the internet has the potential to be classified as a netizen. In the 21st century, this is made possible by the global connectivity of the internet. People can physically be located in one country but connected most of the world via a global network. There is a clear distinction between netizens and people who come online to use the internet. A netizen is described as an individual who actively seeks to contribute to the development of the internet. Netizens are not individuals who go online for personal gain or profit, but instead actively seeks to make the internet a better place. A term used to classify internet users who do not actively contribute to the development of the internet is "
lurker In Internet culture, a lurker is typically a member of an online community who observes, but does not participate. The exact definition depends on context. Lurkers make up a large proportion of all users in online communities. Lurking allows u ...
". Lurkers cannot be classified as netizens, as although they do not actively harm the internet, they do not contribute either.


In China

In
Mandarin Chinese Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language ...
, the terms ''wǎngmín'' (, literally "netizen" or "net folks") and ''wǎngyǒu'' (, literally "net friend" or "net mate") are commonly used terms meaning "internet users", and the English word ''netizen'' is used by
mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the China, People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming Island, Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territorie ...
-based
English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...
media to translate both terms, resulting in the frequent appearance of that English word in media reporting about China, far more frequently than the use of the word in other contexts.Brian Fung,
'Netizen': Why Is This Goofy-Sounding Word So Important in China?
", ''The Atlantic'', 11 October 2012


The Netizen Prize

The international nonprofit organisation
Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
awards an annual Netizen Prize in recognition to an internet user, blogger,
cyber-dissident A cyber-dissident is a professional journalist, an activist or citizen journalist who posts news, information, or commentary on the internet that implies criticism of a government or regime. The practice of cyber-dissidence may have been inaugu ...
, or group who has helped to promote freedom of expression on the internet. The organisation uses the term when describing the
political repression of cyber-dissidents Political repression of cyber-dissidents is the oppression or persecution of people for expressing their political views on the Internet. Along with development of the Internet, state authorities in many parts of the world carry out mass ...
such as legal consequences of blogging in politically repressive environments.


Psychological studies

With time, more and more people have started interacting and building communities online. Some communities are so strong, they outsmart offline-communities. The effect it has on human psychology and life is of major interest and concern of researchers. Several studies are being done on netizen under the name Netizens’ Psychology. Problems are internet
addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...
,
mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles Stress (biology), stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-maki ...
, outrage, and effect on kids' development are some of the many problems netizen psychology tries to focus on.


See also

* Digital citizen – citizens (of the physical space) using the Internet as a tool in order to engage in society, politics, and government participationMossberger, Karen. "Digital Citizenship - The Internet, Society and Participation" by
Karen Mossberger Karen Mossberger (born September 15, 1954) is an American political scientist and scholar of public policy and public administration. She is the Frank and June Sackton Professor of Urban Policy at Arizona State University, where she is also Dire ...
, Caroline J. Tolbert, and Ramona S. McNeal. 23 November 2011.
*
Digital native The term digital native describes a person who has grown up in the information age. Often grouped into Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha, these individuals can consume digital information and stimuli quickly and comfortably through ...
– a person who has grown up in the information age * Netiquette – social conventions for online communities *
Cyberspace Cyberspace is a concept describing a widespread interconnected digital technology. "The expression dates back from the first decade of the diffusion of the internet. It refers to the online world as a world 'apart', as distinct from everyday re ...
– the new societal territory that is inhabited by Netizens * Internet age *
Network society Network society is the expression coined in 1991 related to the social, political, economic and cultural changes caused by the spread of networked, digital information and communications technologies. The intellectual origins of the idea can be trac ...
* Active citizenship – the concept that citizens have certain roles and responsibilities to society and the environment and should actively participate * Social Age * List of Internet pioneers – those who helped erect the theoretical and technological foundation of the Internet (instead of improving its content, utility or political aspects) *
Participatory culture Participatory culture, an opposing concept to consumer culture, is a culture in which private individuals (the public) do not act as consumers only, but also as contributors or producers (prosumers). The term is most often applied to the product ...
– a culture in which the public does not act merely as consumers and voters, but also as contributors, producers and active participants


References


Further reading

*{{cite book, first1=Michael , last1=Hauben , first2=Ronda , last2=Hauben, first3=Tom , last3=Truscott, title=Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet (Perspectives), publisher=Wiley-IEEE Computer Society P, date=1997-04-27, isbn=0-8186-7706-6, url=http://www.columbia.edu/~rh120/


External links


The Mysterious Netizen
Information society Information Age Internet terminology Internet culture Social influence Cyberspace Virtual communities Citizenship