Social Networking in Nisyros

In the past few years social networking has become a cross – cultural phenomenon. With networking sites such as MySpace, Twitter and Facebook, communicating with friends and family has become easier than it has ever been. More and more young adults living within the United States and Canada have managed to maintain friendships with other children and young adults in Nisyros. Perhaps the prominent site of communication, Facebook statuses let us take a glimpse into the lives of those living on our island when we are thousands of miles away and keep us updated on the happenings that consume our conversations for weeks at a time.

 The most recent swarm of Facebook updates revolved around the mayoral elections that took place in Nisyros this past November. An event which seldom moves the interests of the younger generations, these past elections grabbed the attention of Nisyrians of all ages. With Facebook statuses expressing the growing discontent with the arguments amongst residents of the island, young adults found themselves at odds no matter which part of the world they lived in. For those living in Nisyros, drawing sides became an easy feat as children and young adults often followed in the political footsteps of their parents. Suddenly, Facebook became a battleground where youth living in Nisyros freely argued their opinions based on the events they saw transpire. The social network that had once been used to maintain friendships became a temporary vehicle with which the youth of Nisyros was able to express their views and discontent. While those living it fought out their concerns and opinions over the internet, youth in the United States watched their friends’ commentary closely as concern arose over what was happening on the island we loved. Everything from posts, messages and status updates had many members of the younger Nisyrian – American generation wondering what would happen next. Status updates read that supporters of one political party would never step foot into the business of the others’ again. Similarly, children and family members of the either party were lashed out against via the social network. Without having lived the events ourselves, many young adults felt as if we were caught up in the chaos that had consumed our island. Rather than take sides, several of us became angry, posting statuses in Greek and English reading along the lines of “I love Nisyros. And if you do too. You would stop all the arguing. Because its turning into a zoo” or “You should all be ashamed of yourselves. You are all from the same island if you haven’t noticed. The mayor has been elected and we are confident that he will continue to do a good job”.

Thus, the elections that had once gone unnoticed by the younger generation of Nisyrians living within the United States became the center of many conversations. Without having lived the events themselves, several formed heated opinions based on information gathered off of a social network. Although the information shared via Facebook was less than positive, the site continues to create a bridge between the youth of Nisyros and those of the United States allowing us to become a part of the world in which they live, even temporarily.  

-          Rena Konstantinidis