Culture is like a colourful chameleon; heterogeneous in its make up and viable to change for adapting to surroundings and for survival. And like most things in the contemporary digital age, culture is transforming into somewhat of a robotic digital chameleon, adhering to the demands of an ever-digital surrounding.
Greek Australian culture has recently proven itself to be one of Australia’s cleverest chameleons, adapting well to the societal changes that surround it and using technology to survive in the Australian diaspora. With social media, of course, comes a unique sense of connectivity; no matter where its users are or what they are doing, they can always be connected via social media applications. Greeks in Australia have taken this unique sense of connectivity to strengthen cultural ties across the nation through the use of the social media site, Facebook.
The rise of social media in Australia has seen an immense increase in Facebook users over the past three years. According to Social Media News Australia, the number of active Facebook users since 2012 has increased by 3 million. The more Australian users are connecting to Facebook, the more of an opportunity the Greek community has to tie Greeks from all over the country. And this is exactly what members of the Greek community have done through the formation of Greek-orientated Facebook groups.
Through online connectedness, Facebook groups have single-handedly strengthened Greek cultural connectivity in Australia, establishing a ‘missing connection’ that many members felt living in diaspora. Ellines Melvourni, the administrator for the ‘Greeks in Melbourne’ Facebook group, tells Neos Kosmos that establishing the group was about connecting people who share a similar background and re-establishing a missing link with her own personal culture. “As someone who doesn’t have a lot of immediate Greek friends, I felt that I was missing that connection to my Greek heritage.”
These Facebook groups allow Greeks across a certain location to interact about what Greeks are most passionate about. The most common discussion posts revolve around the topics of “food, memories from yesteryears” and politically controversial subjects. Ellines Melvourni describes her group’s interaction with food posts as a “big part of the group. Greeks are proud and they are carrying on this food tradition in a great way – younger people get to see what older people are cooking and vice versa.”
A strong sense of nostalgia is also present amongst members of Facebook groups, as they commonly reminisce on their favourite past memories. The Greeks in Melbourne group hosts a ‘throwback Thursday’ post, where members “go down memory lane” and reminisce about things like Greek milk bars in Australia, for example. Greek Facebook groups are also a haven for advice about all things Greek in Australia and members can share their experiences to help the needs of others.
From an economic perspective, Greek Facebook groups provide corporate connection and promotion to unite Greek businesses and consumers from a certain location. This provides immense economic benefits for the presence of Greeks in Australian business sectors and provides a platform for the positive economic encouragement of fellow Greek Australians. Administrator for the Melbourne Greeks Facebook group, Theo Kostoglou, says that his group “acts as a way for members to reach out to fellow Melbourne Greeks for any events or business promotions” that may not have the chance to do so in real life.
But perhaps the most revolutionising aspect of Greek Facebook groups is the controversial conversations that are sparked amongst members. Here, in a safe and policed environment, members get to discuss issues which push the traditional boundaries of Greek culture, to help broaden not only the minds of their fellow members, but the collective mind of modern Greek Australian culture. Groups like Greeks in Melbourne have sparked conversations surrounding gay marriage, gender roles and equality, the modern social and economic state of Greece, and many more.
Greek in Melbourne administrator, Ellines Melvourni, sees this as a “really good opportunity to challenge the Greek community’s thoughts on the more controversial issues that they might not get a chance to discuss in other forums. This is a live, heated, in-the-moment discussion, and this is what we need to do more of in our community.” Taking an evolutionary step for Greek culture here means that we are growing with the modernisation of our surroundings and the next generation by challenging conservative notions. “That’s what I am really proud of – that we have this forum where we can push boundaries and learn from each other. As long as it is not discriminatory in any way, I encourage these free speech thoughts,” states Ellines Melvourni.
The importance of social media presence, however, should be immersed in a fine balancing act between online activity and true physical contact, so as to never lose true human interaction. Ellines says that “if there was a way social media could be incorporated so [traditional clubs] could extend their reach and get youth more involved then … I think that there is a way to incorporate social media into cultural tradition.” Kostoglou also believes that Facebook’s presence will inherently increase in the future, due to the ease of connection it provides its users.
Freedom of speech, economic encouragement, social acceptance, the pushing of boundaries and cultural connectivity are the most fundamental characteristics that are alive in Greek Facebook groups today. One can only hope that these are the characteristics we use to define the future of the Greek Australian diaspora as we move further into the digital age.