For tens of thousands of years, community has been a critical part of human life. As a naturally social species, we rely on other people for safety, support, companionship, and many other key aspects of life. While our communities might look very different now from how they did in hunter-gatherer times, our need for those close-knit networks hasn’t changed. I’m grateful for my online communities: Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Walking In Other People’s Shoes where I host Multicultural Children’s Book Club, and Multicultural Kid Bloggers.
What has changed is the way that we connect with others. Historically, we were limited to those in close physical proximity to us, but now we can easily build communities with people all across the world. Here’s why that’s so valuable.
What is an online community?
An online community is any group of people who use the internet to connect and communicate with one another. They are usually built up around a mutual interest, shared value, or some other similar factor that members have in common. Some examples include communities of people who live in the same neighborhood on Nextdoor, the Mumsnet forum for parents, The Student Room website for current and upcoming college students, and Facebook groups based around shared hobbies.
Online communities can be any size, from just a few people up to millions of members. People normally interact with them through messages – which can be either sent privately between individuals or posted publicly for all members to see – and photos or other types of media can be distributed, too. Most have a set of community guidelines that all members must adhere to, such as the Nextdoor racial profiling prevention policies, or prohibitions on profanity and other explicit content.
Why are online communities valuable?
There are many reasons why online communities are valuable. They enable us to connect with people with who we might never cross paths within the physical world, for example, because they live in a different country or have a very different background. This in turn can be an effective way to broaden people’s horizons and interests, by exposing us to new cultures and ideas.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, we’ve seen how online communities can be a lifeline during emergency situations. They enabled people to get assistance when self-isolating or in quarantine, socialize when government restrictions prevented us from meeting up in person and spread a little joy through humor when times seemed dark. With technology developing at such a rapid rate, the value of online groups is only likely to increase as the possibilities for what they can do grow.
Another great aspect about online communities is that they are so diverse. No matter how niche your hobby or job is, you’re sure to be able to find other people online who share your interests and experiences. In the past, people may have been skeptical about the possibility of making genuine friends on the internet, however, these days that stigma has mostly vanished and we understand that online relationships can be just as valid as those we have in the physical world.
This can be especially helpful for people who have just moved to a new city or country and don’t know anyone, as it provides more opportunities to meet potential lifelong friends.
p.s. Related posts:
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My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me