The term netizen is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsEnglish

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, pub ...

'' and '' citizen'', 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,

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". Lurkers cannot be classified as netizens, as although they do not actively harm the internet, they do not contribute either.

In China

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 People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

-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 awards an annual Netizen Prize in recognition to an internet user,

blogger A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

, cyber-dissident, 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 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, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

, outrage, and effect on kids' development are some of the many problems netizen psychology tries to focus on.

References

External links

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