Delaney Carlson, “From Physical to Digital Simulations of Community: Why We Need Third Places.”
Mentor: Marc Tasman, Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies
Poster #45

A third place is a physical venue, separate from home and work, which is a facilitator of relaxed socialization and informal connections. Third places have been vital, particularly in the context of post-industrial society, in the formation of communities as they provide regular patrons with a sense of belonging and diverse yet casual connections. A once notable example of a third place, American shopping malls have steeply declined in quantity, exemplifying the dwindling of third places in American culture. Rather, mere representations of physical third places have emerged in the form of digital communities and social platforms, replacing the physical third place as a primary sphere for socialization. These digital communities function as simulations of their real-world counterparts: Community members cannot form the same connections online as they can in third places. The study of existing literature on the topic seeks to show the differences in physical and digital socialization spheres and the importance of physical third places. This review is anticipated to build on the existing conversations highlighting third places and emphasizing their need in a society. Additionally, anticipatory results show that digital socialization spheres do not afford the same benefits as their physical counterparts. Through the examination of the “Dead Mall” phenomenon on YouTube a distinctive sense of nostalgia and loss for the social environment that used to be, can be felt. This phenomenon, showing the now desolate spaces of the American shopping mall, demonstrates the cultural desire for third places and the American longing for this socialization sphere.