London’s new digital communities: how people connect beyond traditional hangouts

The Internet has changed many aspects of our lives, from entertainment to work and from shopping to media consumption. Where it was once necessary for groups of people to physically get together to connect, that’s no longer the case. And, in the past few years, we’ve really seen the benefits of these digital communities that have popped up all around us.

We do more and more online. Rather than visiting physical stores, banks, and businesses in person, we are more likely to track them down online, where we can research their offerings before communicating via email and other digital communication methods. 

Online entertainment is prevalent with many people streaming media, consuming content, and gaming online, with more venues for these online activities than ever before. Casino gamers have a growing list of iGaming sites including those on the Casino Beats’ EU casinos list. According to online gambling expert Matt Bastock, these sites continue to expand their offerings and not only in terms of the games and bonuses they offer, but, in some cases, by implementing social gaming elements.

With people conducting more of their personal and professional lives online, it is not surprising that digital communities have cropped up around these topics and areas, too. These communities connect people with shared interests, offer easy exchanges of information, and provide multiple benefits to their members.

Online forums were among the first digital community examples. Usenet, which was launched in 1980 and was designed to bring Duke University students together, wasn’t the first forum, but it is widely considered a forerunner to modern forums thanks to its categorized newsgroups. Reddit is one of the most popular websites in the world, with nearly a billion monthly users, and it is a forum that connects a huge network of smaller forums.

Forums don’t require immediate response. They can incorporate information, data, and other content, and they can link to other resources. They offer a laid-back access that doesn’t place demands on community members, but they still offer considerable benefit, hence why they remain popular even in the face of seemingly more advanced options like social media and dedicated sharing platforms.

AIM, Yahoo Messenger, and MSN Messenger were pioneers in the messaging platform space. Initially, they really only offered the capability to send direct messages to other users, but they soon expanded to include group messaging features, as well as offering the capability to share files and other forms of content.

Today, we use apps like Telegram, which offer more advanced features, while platforms like Microsoft Teams offer professional alternatives for business users.

Social media platforms are, effectively, giant digital communities. The likes of Facebook connect billions of users. Thanks to friends, groups, pages, and other features, smaller communities are formed using Facebook as little more than the software behind the group. MySpace was one of the first and most popular social media platforms, and while it wasn’t specifically designed for the purpose, it concentrated primarily on music, showing how digital communities form around shared interests and topics.

Some platforms offer community-specific access. Sites like the Nike Run Club, for example. Nike Run Club is designed for fitness enthusiasts, and it not only enables members to connect and communicate, but it also enables specific features like run tracking and challenges. Other dedicated platforms exist for virtually every conceivable topic and interest.

Nike Run Club can also be considered a brand community. It primarily targets Nike users, or at least target users – people who wear Nike equipment to go running. Other examples include Airbnb’s Host Community and the Harley-Davidson Owners Group (H.O.G.). Sign up for H.O.G. and you’ve got a fair idea that you’ll be joining other owners of the infamous motorcycle brand.

Other online communities may be much smaller, their exclusivity being an important part of their appeal. Neighbourhoods, school parent groups, and groups of friends planning a trip away might use platforms like WhatsApp to chat with one another, share relevant information, and even gather information via polls, questions, and other formats.

With the emergence of web 3.0 technology, we are not only seeing the increased use of platforms like Telegram and Discord to create platforms for topics like cryptocurrency to share news of price movements and specific topics like crypto art sales, but we are also seeing decentralised networks and unique technologies like governance tokens that are creating new digital community opportunities for users.