After Home and School, Where Do You Find the Strongest Feeling of Community?

Fortnite is an easy game to play. I have played harder games before.

When I finish class I think the place I find the strongest feelings of being part of a group is the Drag race fandom on Instagram. As I am the only person in my class who watch Rupaul's Drag race, it's really pleasant to be able to talk about my passion with other people. Drag is not something people are used to talk about. Or they don't know nothing about it or they are afraid or they hate it and find it schocking.

I often find the strongest sense of community when interacting with people I don't know. Small, friendly interactions with strangers aren't the most important or life-changing community, but they make me feel welcome. Often, sharing a laugh with someone who's name I don't know really makes my day and reminds me that there's a community beyond the reach of my clicks.

I think that “constricted, highly regimented lives” is a good description for many people. However, I feel that my life is not very constricted other than the fact that we have to race back and forth between different places after school. I think that if my sisters and I did not participate in as many activities we would not be leading “constricted, highly regimented lives”. I to not play online video games. I can see how gaming could enable people to have a feeling of being in control based on the 0ffline games I play though. I don’t think that any online video you play could make you want to have an interaction with other players. I do think that people who play games where you can work together will be more inclined to feel this way. I would say that my third place is my school. This is a certain time of school though, around 3:30 till whenever we stay. Since my mother teaches at my school we have to stay late sometimes, but sometimes when other friends from school stay late I feel that we interact more kindly with each other.

Young people are on their phones to much they need to get out more like me i am always outside helping and it so much fun and it makes me happy and i love going on my trapleen it is so much fun I don't like fortnite it bad for kids to play because they are teaching them to kill people and that is not good it's just a dome game but my brothers love it and are on it all night ant that is why they cant get up for school they are added to it and it's crazy They are stuck to phones and other things unlike me where i go outside and play and read and i not on my phone to much

To drown the noise, really just escape and for me to focus on what is really is to live, I have to be at the beach, with my friends and family, or even on my back deck on my yoga mat. Anywhere where I can just take a couple deep breathes and watch the nature around me. I love this sensation, it is where I thrive. I do not play Fortnite myself, but I know my brother looovveeesss it. He looses so much sleep over it, and I am sure when he does go to sleep, he dreams about it. Just as I do with what makes me happy. It is an escape, where those who may no necessarily know how to express them selves in the environment they are commonly placed in, like school. So, this way they can be themselves and enjoy who they are and express it to others in an environment where is it appreciated. So when Prince Harry says he is thinking about taking this away. He is really just taking away part of his people.

Humans need a sense of community to be able to thrive. My strongest feeling of community is at church. I spend a majority of every Sunday at my church. In the mornings, I volunteer in child care during its 9AM service which allows me to build relationships with kids and their parents. Then, I stay for the 11AM service and spend time with the friends (of all ages) I have made. Later that evening, I go to youth group and spend time with other middle and high schoolers and have fun! With the crazy weekday schedule I have, Sundays are my only day to socialize beyond the classroom and enjoy myself. A lot of people don’t have this safe space to build community. So what’s a substitute? Fortnite. Frankly, I don’t think Fortnite is that bad. From a glance, it can just look like people staring at a screen for hours with headsets on, but when you actually get plugged into the game, it’s a pretty social game. The article says: there’s “barking orders, exchanging intel, passing joysticks, cracking jokes.” Sure there’s a risk of addiction, but the risk of not having community can be even more detrimental.

I agree with the statement that young people lead very regimented lives in modern day society. I would even go so far as to state that young people can sometimes feel like passive observers in their own lives. I believe it is unhealthy to feel this way, and that it is necessary to a healthy lifestyle to feel in control of something as a person, even if that feeling doesn’t directly pertain to your real life. With this in mind, I could easily see why a video game can be seen as a sort of “third place”. At the same time, there is something to be said about the community surrounding certain video games, and this can certainly add to the “third place” feeling. The people who are playing the game at the same time as you often have similar interests to you (they’re almost guaranteed to have at least one). Finally, the place that I consider my “third place” is an app called Discord. It’s a conversation app that allows you to talk and chat with people of similar interests to you. It feels like a welcoming community because the people there generally share your interests and care about the same things you do.

My "third place" would definitely be my church. Outside of my home and school, you will find me at my church. It is a safe place for me and I consider my church family just as important as my biological family. I find comfort in my youth group and adult leaders that I look up to. Fortnight and church are very different, but everyone has their own safe place and if it's fortnight I don't see a problem with that. I agree that fortnight is somewhat of a community, it might just portray it a different way. Kids have fun playing it and it is like a third place to them.

The strongest place that I find community is my football team. We practice from March to December so it's a year long thing. It's hard work but I've found that when you do it with a group of people, you grow a bond with them. I understand that a lot of people turn to video games to find a sense of community because they don't have the qualifications or athletic ability to be in clubs or play sports. I play video games on occasions as well, but I only play to play with my friends, who I met through my football team. I think that we need to reduce the amount of time we spend on video game. All it does is teach a new generation that being lazy is good. If you want to see your friends, just go out and see them.

My “third place” would probably be the soccer park because I’m always playing soccer. Normally after school, I go to play soccer than twice a week I have night practice. On the weekends I either have tournaments or I'm referring. I’ve played soccer since I was 3. I’ve always felt like I’m having when I’m playing soccer never like it’s work. Playing soccer with my friends is really fun because we always challenge each other and try to outdo each other. I’m a very competitive person and soccer is a very competitive sport, so maybe that’s why I love playing so much.

My "third place" would have to be on the volleyball court. My day consists of waking up to go to school for seven hours, training/Physical therapy right after school, then straight to volleyball practice for two hours. I end up getting home around ten every night. Weekends after November till June usually consist of volleyball tournaments. I consider my team as a form of a family because we have to support one another on the court to reach our goal of winning. My coaches are sorta like my parents in that setting because they give me guidance and teach me life-long skills that I don't learn in the classroom. I spend ample hours with the girls on my team, so they've seen me in my strongest and weakest times. I share a hotel room with one of my teammates at every tournament, and I see her more as a sister than a friend. I've made some life-long friends playing volleyball and so many memories. I can easily say that the volleyball court is my "third place."

When I think of a community, I think of a place that you feel welcome and you are around people who are similar to you. Other than home and school the place I feel a sense of community is at the baseball field. It is a place where I do not have to worry about anything but playing the game I love with people I love to be with. Those people might not even be people I know, but we are at the baseball field for the same reasons. I might know them on a personal level but there is a sense of connection between us. I think that an online community is most definitely possible. A community is not a community without the people. Like with how I feel about the baseball field, it is the same way online. You do not have to know everyone personally, but there is a sense of connection because of the reasons you are online.

Outside of school and home, my third place to me is Whrightsville beach, especially in the summer. On summer days I go to the beach and stay there all day, its like my second Home. I get there at 9 AM and stay Until 9 PM, The beach is the place I go to have some fun and meet up with all my friends. Something else I love about the beach is that if you go with one person by the end of the day you'll easily end up with a bunch of my friends and friends of friends, I meet so many people and always have fun. It's so beautiful and I could never get bored here, I know the beach like I know the back of my hand therefore I know all the best places that a tourist could never fully experience. I could never ever give it up the beach, I absolutely love the place.

I frequently say that I practically live at my best friend’s house. I can walk through her door, unannounced, and nobody in her family says anything about it; I’m like their second daughter. I must admit that I spend most time at my home and at school, but in my free time, you will always find me at Avery’s. Whether it’s to study, have a sleepover, have dinner, or just to hang out, her house is my favorite place to be, and her family is truly my second family.

My "third place" outside of school and home is the softball field. I spend 6 days of the week practicing, it offers an escape from the other places. My teammates and coaches have become apart of my family. These individuals see my everyday struggles and sometimes are even experiencing them along with me. Unlike school and other places at the softball field I never have that lingering thought “Are they talking about me?” My teammates offer their endless support whether I want it or not. The home and school support I have aren't always there so it is truly an amazing thing for people to still get to experience through their “third place.”

My third place outside of school is in the water surfing, Each and every time I get in the water, I see familiar faces all around me. Some of the best friends I have have been made surfing. As for Senior's thoughts on Fortnite, I agree that it is somewhat of a community. It provides kids with a way to have fun with their friends and socialize without physically getting together. It allows them to get their minds off of the more stressful aspects of life, which can often be a good thing. The thing I agree with most in Senior's piece is the idea that parents often "rigidly schedule" their kid's lives, stifling creativity. Sure, protecting your kids is one thing, but loosen the leash a little. Let them get creative. This is one of the things I believe Senior sees in Fortnite.

Outside of school and my home, my "third place" is my dance studio. Some of my best friends and greatest role models are part of this community and they are my second family. I feel so much support and love with my peers and I always enjoy going there. I completely agree with Ms. Senior's thoughts about how our society now is "constricted". Parents can be so over protective due to the fears that we get hurt. That being said, we are not always allowed to live our lives, make mistakes, and learn from them. I do not personally game, but I can see how this can be an outlet for a lot of people like my dance studio is for me. I think it's important to find a "third place" even if it's electronic.

I do have a really loving family and school and I’m very lucky for that. Shoutout to my parents, Carlos and Sully Moreno, for teaching me the right way to make the world better. Reading this article makes me really appreciate having a park right around the corner to my house. It’s where I spend that other extra time at. It takes energy, time, and it’s a lot of fun. Usually, I’m at the park to play softball or just to practice with my cousin who also plays. I haven’t spent much time around this time of year because of the weather, but hopefully, I can get back on track and have the summer fun all kids need. I do play video games, but not as much as other kids. I feel like these video games are really pushing these kids farther and farther away from the outside world and the outside world isn’t getting the love that it needs. With all of the digital things that are available to most people, teens and kids don’t get the childhood and fun they should have.

I believe that Miss Senior’s idea that young people today have constricted, highly regimented lives it's completely factual. The only way that people communicate now is through video games and social media interaction. I believe that even though you are interacting with people using these types of things, it is always better to meet someone in person and get to know them because you never know who is behind the screen. Someone might say that they are a 13-year-old boy who lives in California, but you never know who that person actually is. You don't know their age, you don't know where they live, and you especially don't know their personality. Even though Miss Senior says that she sees a connection between her eleven-year-old son and his online friends, I do not think that these interactions are nearly as close and dear as interactions with real personal friends are. Even though this might be a way to socially feel closer to people, it might not be the best way to. I am not against the fact of having online friends, but like I said before you never know who they are. My third place is my ballet studio. Everybody their support each other, and is accepting of one another. If someone is mad or upset because they messed up on stage or injured themselves, everybody is there to cheer them up. We all make sure that we push ourselves to our limits, and we all help each other achieve our back.

In my opinion, I definitely agree with Ms. Seniors idea. Teenagers today don't have the luxury of going anywhere they want because of how dangerous our society has gotten over the years. Some people feel like the only way they can escape, is through a digital world, where players are free and can go wherever they want to. It gives them the freedom that they can't get today. It's very sad, but it's the truth. I play video games, and I think it does give you an experience of feeling in control of what you are doing. I still go outside and hangout with my friends, so I kind of have the best of both worlds. I think that gaming has become a third place for people who can't find anything better to do. It is their way to relax, and get away from all the stressful things. In the gaming world they can find people with the same ideologies as them, something that is much harder to find in the real world if you think differently about things.

What’s the definition of a community? It’s an established group of people who work together to achieve certain goals. I agree with Mrs.Senior’s viewpoint. The fact that young children have “constricted, highly regimented lives” calls for a different world. A different land where they have no restrictions and can do what the mind desires. For me, besides home and family, I find online gaming to be the best source of community for me. There is something unique about all games similar to Fortnite, and that is the satisfaction of winning and the factor of cooperation and collaboration. In many games, winning just makes you feel plain amazing. This factor is the same thing with other games like Fortnite. Winning is what every player wants to do, and that makes the game fun and competitive. Speaking of winning, in these types of games, you can’t win without the right amount of teamwork. Especially in these types of games, you must work together. There is no one best player because everyone plays a role. That’s where teamwork comes into play. When you win, and it’s because you worked together efficiently and effectively, you just want to celebrate and gloat with your teammates, because you feel a sense of pride and glory. You realize that you wouldn’t be able to win without each other. In addition, the fact that in these games you have an 80% chance of playing with total strangers, it gets you ready for life.

Outside of home and school, I feel the strongest community in my church. My church has been like a second home to me and I always find comfort in my youth group and adults I look up to within the church. Fortnite and church can be hard to compare but you can find many similarities when you look at the effects both give off. Both have a warm welcome with friendly people and makes the person feel comfortable. I do play video games and interact with people through the web. I think teens are too engaged in social media and gaming. Teens turn the luxury of electronics into a bad habit of constantly playing or exploring on the web. Teens do need to reach out to reality and come in contact with new communities outside of a phone, tv, or game station.

I definitely see how Ms. Senior says that teenagers live in highly regimented lives. Constantly, we're seeing new "online worlds" evolve and sometimes they have taken over young kid's and teenager's minds. I personally don't play video games, but I fully agree with this statement and article. Social media and video games are taking too much power over young minds and I think something needs to be done about it. What's fun about sitting inside all day in a fake world? I think life is much more worth living in the present moment.

I fully agree with the statement that teenagers today live constricted live and should have more embodied interactions. Today many children live most of their lives in video games rather than actually being present in their real life. I don’t think that a video game could be considered a “third place” no matter how interactive it is and no matter whether or not you can play it with your friends. People should interact in person not through a screen. I believe that you can never have a strong bond with a person that you met online compared to the bonds you can form with real life friends. I would consider my third place to be my dance team. Everyone there is so supportive of each other and we all stick together. There aren’t many of us but we form a strong group of people that we all feel comfortable with. Overall, I don’t think I could form such a close friendship through a video game, and however, it may be fun, embodied interaction are 100 times better than ones online.

Personally, I would agree that teenagers today lead constricted lives as a result of many reasons, such as extremely rigid parenting, little to no time to relax due to long school hours, and an overall sense of being locked in a box. I believe that because of that, games such as "Fortnite" appeal very strongly to modern young people because it's a way to make your own world, in a way. I myself play video games to connect with friends since we moved from Portland, OR to Seattle, WA, and I think it's a very convenient way to interact with people you know for other people as well. For example, you and a friend of yours decide to play basketball on Saturday, but it rains that day. Rather than just not talk to each other that day, you can play a round of NBA 2K online. Rather than video games making teens more anti-social, I strongly believe that video games encourage people to be even more socially involved through tools such as "voice chat". I don't really think of video games as my "third place", but I do believe that there is a strong sense of community among people who enjoy video games, because of how many games involve working as a team strategically. My third place would definitely be my youth group because of how much everyone tries to make others feel welcome there.

Many people have homes that they don't feel welcome in, or are scared of coming back to. An equal amount of people are also intimidated or bored by the intense monotony of schoolwork. It makes sense that you would have a third place to feel safe, to feel happy or in control or relaxed. This isn't a new concept; before video games and social media, people would go to church for this community. They'd go to the park, or a certain cafe that made them feel at home. And, although less than before, people still have these physical places. Now, however, they have digital ones. Digital "homes" are much different from their real counterparts. Almost all of them instill a feeling of anonymity. Even on website where you might use your real name, there's always a sense that these online people can't see you. Can't judge you. Digital places like these are more accessible, literally fitting in the palm of your hand. Any time of day, you can be there, alone or with others. If something bad happens, and you no longer feel welcome, you can simply move on to another digital community. It's harder to do that in the real world. I, personally, am part of a few online groups with people I have never seen in the flesh, and probably will never, either. But that doesn't mean it's unhealthy. In fact, I believe having these communities is part of a healthy lifestyle. Somewhere to detach yourself, or to ignore your burdens. Only now, it's behind a screen.

I'm not the absolutely closest with my family, and school is definitely not my favorite place. However, this is where I spend the majority of my time. When I'm not at school, you can most likely find me at home. I used to have a third place, and third group of people who were like family to me. But then I moved, and am slowly trying to develop a group like I used to have. I've never had much more than school and my family. This is most likely because even before I was eight years old I had been to almost 20 countries, which in itself was a blessing and curse. I never really had the opportunity to really click with someone on a personal level, but it made me a good people person. I was better at connecting and making friends with adults then children, I don't know why. In truth, my "third place" is a collection of places. These are places I have traveled and want to travel to, because its what I love to do. I would absolutely love to have a job where I could travel the world and delve into different unique cultures. I have a passion for cooking as well, and love to experiment with different cultural cuisines, from all over the world. I gravitate towards the life of the traveler because that's just the type of person I am. I love connecting with others, learning about different cultures and their histories, and trying new things.

After reading the article, After home and school where do you find your strongest feeling of community?", I find a very strong feeling of community with my youth group. At my church, our youth group is about 15-20 people and we all are very close. I met my best friend there, and I know I will never forget any of them. We will always have each other's backs and will always be there for each other. In conclusion, after school and home, I find my strongest feeling of community in my youth group.