From Physical to Digital Communities
Humans depend upon other humans. Whether that be for support, love, encouragement. We are made to socialize and be together. Given how technology has rapidly progressed throughout the years, it is no surprise that communities have moved to the digital space.
“A community is a group of people that care about each other and feel they belong together,” a community gives individuals that “we feeling,” being surrounded by those that have the same goals and intentions.
As a species that depends upon each other, there are millions of different communities. Whether it be a book club, sports team or cooking class. Those are all examples of groups of people coming together with one shared goal. Social media has become a big part of that. We share everything we are proud of and want others to know.
There are now Reddit threads and Facebook groups and TikTok tags that can allow everyone to join a virtual book club, there are fantasy sport groups and even virtual cooking classes. Especially in a time of such uncertainty 2020 was a time where we put ourselves to the test. Anything we did in person, we could a way to do it virtually so we could still come together.
Social media has grown so much in the past decade, even users own newsfeeds don’t feel tight knit anymore. People are seeking communities to belong to in order to have that feeling on closeness.
The authentic connections users look for on social media are a part of the fabric of online communities — a major reason why people are turning to these spaces. Making connections with others who have similar interests is a primary driver behind why users are engaging in online communities.
Well-functioning in person communities is all about making genuine connections with those that have commonalities. Translating that to the digital space can be tricky. With some communities revolving around sensitive topics, it is important for moderators to properly vet those who are seeking membership.
Sources:
Beer, C. (2021, March 9). The rise of online communities. GWI. https://blog.gwi.com/chart-of-the-week/online-communities/.
Pfortmüller, F. (2020, February 7). What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter. Medium. https://medium.com/together-institute/what-does-community-even-mean-a-definition-attempt-conversation-starter-9b443fc523d0.
