I think "a pale copy of the real thing is orthogonal. The "real world" is perfectly capable of creating pale copies with many communities as the pressure leads

I think "a pale copy of the real thing is orthogonal. The "real world" is perfectly capable of creating pale copies with many communities as the pressure leads to shallow pleasantries, pressure to conform for the sake of conformity when nobody really likes the status quo but does so because it is expected, keeping up with the Joneses and more instead of what people are actually interested in and value. Of course it is a matter of how you use it - with both smartphones and "real world".