The paper attempts to make the recent social changes theoretically clear, by analyzing the relation between modernity and global computer-mediated communication (CMC) network, especially the Internet.
Discussion groups on CMC network are often called virtual communities because they are based on non-face-to-face communication. But virtuality is essencial feature of modernity, as pointed out by Anderson. That is, modernity develops virtuality of societies.
Therefore the wide-spread Internet becomes of overriding importance in the various aspects of the world today. And the problems of virtual communities are partly considered as extensions of those of modernity. However, at the same time, they partly contradict to modernity.
We should realize this mechanism to apply CMC technology to society for the public welfare.