Abstract
Coronavirus lockdowns and physical distancing regulations have led to many people around the world having to isolate for varying lengths of times. In light of this, many have turned to communities on social media for support and connection. According to Bauman (2001), community helps us to feel cared for and secure, hence why it is sought after from generation to generation. This paper will address social media’s ability to foster communities, provide evidence as to how social media has been able to mitigate mental health implications and identify ways in which social media usage has increased during the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. The findings reviewed highlight social media communities have helped mitigate some the negative mental health implications of social distancing. The purpose of this paper is to refute the misconception that social media has or is diminishing society’s ability to form deep and meaningful communities.
Main Text
On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic (Cucinotta & Vanelli, 2020). By April of 2020, 90 countries around the world had implemented national or regional lockdowns (Sandford, 2020). This meant that more than half of the world’s population (3.9 billion people) was subject to strict stay at home orders (Sandford, 2020). As coronavirus cases continued to increase throughout 2020-2022, many countries intermittently enforced lockdowns and/or social distancing regulations for citizens. Additionally, following lockdown announcements many communities could not gather or communicate physically, and so gravitated towards a variety of social media platforms (Obren et al., 2020). Firstly, in a time where physical distancing made it difficult to connect with various communities, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok proved that they were able to be used to foster new and existing communities. This was through expanding the ways we could communicate, the people we could communicate with, and the accessibility to communicate. Ultimately, the formation of communities during coronavirus lockdowns, illustrated that the development of social media and technology has positively impacted society. This paper will argue that social media communities have helped mitigate the negative mental health implications of social distancing.
As social media advances, it remains possible to form and nurture deep and meaningful online communities. This position is refuted by some and, throughout history it has been argued that the development of social media has been detrimental to communities. Many of these arguments are centred around the idea that community was better off in the past, and that the introduction or evolution of social media platforms has a negative relationship with individuals’ ability to nurture meaningful communities (Dotson, 2017). For instance, Dotson’s (2017) suggests that since the introduction of Facebook and mobile devices, society has increased its practice of “networked individualism” (p. 3). “Networked individualism” refers to, “the relational turn from bounded, densely knit local groups to multiple, partial, often far-flung social networks” (Rainie and Wellman 2012 as cited in Hampton, 2018, p. 643). The communities of the past that are referred to in statements such as this are often nineteenth century communities (before the rise of the industrial revolution). These communities generally consisted of an individual’s family and those in geographical proximity who shared similar values or beliefs. An idealisation of past generation is not surprising, as throughout history, “… observers look back nostalgically to what they supposed were the supportive, solidary communities of the previous generations” (Hampton, 2018, p. 643). Although community may look considerably different to what it once was at any other point in history, it is still to be celebrated for what it is today, and what it can facilitate in our everchanging world. Although there may never a comprehensive substitution for physical face to face connection and interaction, we must accept that, “there are clear downsides to all configurations of community”, as well as upsides (Hampton, 2018, p. 648). It is useful to consider that if the pandemic and its repercussions (extended global lockdown and physical distancing regulations) had occurred in a time such as the nineteenth century, prior to the existence of social media how would communities have formed or even be able to stay connected with one another? The various outcomes to such a question implies that in this instance the age old adage of ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ may be in play in many anti-social media arguments Hampton & Wellman, 2018, p. 643). Further, Hampton and Wellman (2018) warn that, “Lamenting about the loss of community, based on a selective perception of the present and an idealisation of ‘traditional community’, dims awareness of powerful inequalities and cleavages that have always pervaded human society and favours deterministic models...” (p. 643). It is necessary to accept that there have been changes to the structure of communities because of social media, however following the finding of Hampton and Wellman (2018) it can be concluded that, “Social media is fostering networked, supportive, persistent and pervasive community relationships” (p. 648). This is evident as the pandemic has seen a lot more people relying in social media to connect with their pre- pandemic communities, as well as newly discovered communities.
According to studies conducted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (2020), there was a 9 percent increase in the number of Australians using social media between 2019 and 2020. This evidence supports the idea that individuals were utilising social media to foster communities, especially during periods of isolation. There are various platforms and ways that social media can be used to connect or meet new communities – each easily accessible, despite geographical restrictions. Platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok are amongst the most some of the most well-known social media platforms which are used to foster community. However, there are various other platforms which can be utilised to foster communities. According to Meikle (2016), social media are “networked database platforms that combine public with personal communications” (p. 6). This definition encompasses the wide array of social media platforms people use to find or maintain communities.Research conducted in March of 2020 shows that in the countries impacted most severely by the coronavirus and rigorous lockdown regulations, total messaging increased by approximately 50 percent in the span of one month (Schultz & Parikh, 2020). Additionally, video and voice calling on the Messenger and WhatsApp platform (Schultz & Parikh, 2020). In some ways, people were able to seek refuge in social media; due to it being a place that they could go to find community (Bauman, 2001). This illustrates that there is an increase in social media usage during periods of isolation. Communities that can be formed on these various platforms are diverse as they are not limited to a geographic location and give people an opportunity to easily gain access to a variety of community options. The communities fostered on social media during periods of isolation have been instrumental in mitigating negative mental health implications amongst many individuals globally.
Conclusion
As discussed, the coronavirus lockdowns and physical distancing regulations have inherently had implications on people’s overall mental health and well-being, however social media has assisted in mitigating some of the potential implications of these circumstances. One of the limitations of this paper is that research into this area is likely not yet completed and will be continuing more in years to come. This is because the mental health ramifications of lockdowns may not fully be evident, as various mental illnesses are not reflected in individuals immediately, nor may they be in the months or years following any time of traumatic incident. However, as per the research referred to in this paper, studies are already beginning to show that social media has contributed to mitigating some of the mental health implications of the coronavirus lockdowns. Further research may be necessary into how younger generations will continue to interact with communities online and in person post pandemic, once there are no more restrictions. An example for instance is whether people continue to interact and seek community on social media as much, once all lockdown and physical distancing restrictions are entirely disposed of? In this instance social media has proven itself as an able means of fostering community, whilst also being a useful tool to mitigate isolations impact on mental health.
Online Communities- How social media helped communities during coronavirus lockdowns
References
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Hi Ike,
Really enjoyed reading your paper.
I liked how you wrote about social media being kind of a savior to some people in the pandemic with a lot of people’s mental health declining. I also find this topic very important to adress when people talk about he [andemic as in my experience i found it as kind of a savior when having to live with just my parents and i thought i was going to go crazy without seeing my friends! But like many other people I found social media a savior in that troubling time.
I would also love to hear your opinion on the discussion around how the pandemic period has led further to device addiction and how during the lockdown people were on social media so much it has bled more into our time now more than before the pandemic?
Would love to hear your opinion 🙂
-Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for reading my paper and for your comment – I really appreciate it!
I agree that social media was my saviour during the pandemic too!
I think it is so interesting to see the ramifications of increased social media usage; especially now that their seemingly coming out of the other side of prolonged isolation and quarantine. I think that in all it is almost a double edge sword, because yes social media did help us in a time where we needed it so much, but now there might be problems that we have to deal with as a result – such as addiction and a maintained increase usage. Although I do agree that these things do pose a problem, I also believe that society is so adaptable and we will mostly find our ways back to normality given time, and as things continue to go back to the way that they are. I also think that like myself, there is a major part of me that lives more in the moment now during exciting experiences that I missed out on during the pandemic. Can you relate to this too?
Ike 🙂
Good to see you paper in the conference Ike. Do you think people were more exposed to the potential negative sides of social media, such as cyber-bullying, as well as the positive sides during lockdowns?
Andrea
Hi Andrea,
Thank you for your comment.
Initially I would have said ‘yes’, that cyber bulling and other negative parts of social media increased during lockdowns, however after looking into a number of studies into this area, it seems that that assumption may be incorrect.
There is the assumption that since more people were own social media, activities such as cyber bullying would increase, however studies show that cyber bulling rates remained stable during the pandemic, with a decrease in school bullying during and after the pandemic. You can read more about this in this article: https://cyberbullying.org/bullying-during-the-covid-19-pandemic
I believe that this could be because people had so much disposable time and were bored that perhaps those who may have been bullying turned to the internet for positivity, rather than negativity. What are your thoughts on this?
Thanks for your reply Ike. You give some interesting information from the cyberbullying website. It is good that cyberbullying did not increase in line with increased internet use. I wonder if having a common threat, such as the pandemic, fostered more sense of responsibility in users of social media.
Hi Andrea,
yes I do believe that there was a real sense of comradely online during the pandemic. I believe that the underpinning reason for this is that we were all universally going through a similar struggle, and so turned to supporting one another, rather than tearing each other apart. I hope to see this attitude continue online as we come out of the depths of the pandemic.
Hi Ike,
I really enjoyed reading your essay. I also share your sentiment regarding the fact that social media brought people together during this pandemic and that it helped so many, including myself, to have a sense of belongingness to the many communities that have come together during the lockdown. I also think that without social media during this time, many would be disorientated with such a huge change in the world.
On the other hand, do you think that this could have maybe caused some people to limit themselves by opening up to only a few groups instead of exploring more possibilities? Looking forward to reading your opinion on this topic.
Hi Tatyanna,
Thank you for your comment, and I’m glad that you enjoyed the paper.
In regards to whether people limited themselves to opening up to a few groups, I think that quite the opposite happened. During lockdowns I think many people had a lot more disposable time than they had in the past, leading people to explore different communities. I know that for myself particularly I found myself researching different communities, and creating connections that I usually wouldn’t because of the amount of free time that I had. Further, because I was spending more time online, I was connecting with people in different communities, that I may never have met because they are not in close proximity to me. For me, that is what makes social media so great; it provides an endless number of connections to people all over the world from different walks of life.
I’d be interested to hear about this from your point of view. Did you find yourself making new connections during the pandemic, due to more time on social media?
Hi Ike, Thank you for this paper, I think everyone can relate to this topic, I certainly benefited from social media use during the pandemic. I found WHO study which discusses misinformation on social media during the pandemic within the Gen Z and millennial demographics. They found scientific content is seen as share worthy by this proportion of the community. It also showed that many Gen z and millennials are aware of misinformation on social media however a high proportion will simply ignore the issue rather than act. Being that this age group is key in the context of helping stop transmission of the virus, do you feel that this is a significant issue?
Hi David,
Thank you for the comment on my paper – it is much appreciated. I’m glad that you were able to reunite with the concept of social media benefiting you throughout the pandemic.
I would say that the increased spread of misinformation during the pandemic is definitely a significant issue that warrants concern. Sadly, due to how easy it is to share information on social media, I find that it is sometimes difficult to filter what information is accurate, and what may be false.
I think that a resolution to this issue would be ‘sharable’ content providing evidence or references to more academically trusted sources. Further, those who share should also be promoted to do their own personal research, rather than solely relying of the information which they read from social media posts or social media influencers. Although, laziness is was often stops many from doing this, I think that this would be a healthy and beneficial ‘trend’ for young people to get behind.
Thanks,
Ike
Hi Ike, enjoyed your article.
I think one of the main points of interest here is the length of time people spent in lockdown, and subsequently the amount of time they spent immersing themselves in online communities to maintain social connection and mental health. I believe that the lockdowns were the perfect length for people to become disconnected from real life communities, begin to engage in online communities and then come back to real life communities once the lockdowns finished. Although people found comfort in being able to engage in their online communities, i believe that the return to normal life relatively quickly negated any potential long term mental health concerns for a lot of people.
I think it will be particularly interesting to see how those that struggle to come back to normal life and stay in their online worlds are impacted by mental health concerns going forward.
Interested to hear your thoughts here.
Hi Harrison,
I’m glad that you enjoyed the paper, and thank you very much for your comment.
I too was worried about the potential concern that returning to ‘normal’ life may caused. Understandable, fear and anxiety seem to be common emotions faced by some in response to leaving lockdown (especially prolonged lockdowns). However, I think that having social media to connect while in lockdown mitigated some of the anxiousness of coming out of lockdown. Because we were all mostly able to stay so closely connected with our existing and new communities during lockdown, we weren’t stripped entirely of socialising. For myself personally (during lockdown), I know that because I was able to be connected with my friends and family, I was mores excited to come out and connect with community physically.
How was the transition out of lockdown for you?
I look forward to hearing about your experience.
Thanks,
Ike
Hi Ike,
One of the main concerns here is the time people spend in lockdown and immersing themselves in the online community to maintain social connections and keep them from having mental breakdowns. I think the pandemic gave a rise in the use of online platforms where people joined in communities to feel the connection they were missing as they were forced to stay inside. But for many, being stuck at home and having entertainment online was more torture than anything. These online communities proved helpful during the pandemic, as they helped people voice their issues and concerns and information was easily obtained on the situation of the covid-19 on these platforms.
You can read my paper below:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/374/social-media-helped-in-creating-terror-and-panic-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-mauritius/
Thank you.
Hi Nadarajan,
thank you for reading my paper, and for your comment; it is much appreciated!
I’m glad that you agree with the main point of my paper, that online communities were a huge tool during the pandemic. I also think that it is important that you brought up the point of it allowing people to voice their issues and concerns – as I think that this is a huge part of connecting, and we were all mostly able to relate to one another and comfort one another. Further, I think that yes, for those are particularly extroverted, lockdown and having to entertain themselves online may have felt like torture. However, I think that it’s likely that they would have been worse off without the little connection online entertainment and communities provide us with.
kind regards,
Ike
Hi Ike,
loved reading your piece, extremely informational and I took away a lot. I especially enjoyed reading you last paragraph regarding social media and their capabilities. I personally, alike many across the nation, felt the feelings of isolation and loneliness during quarantine, especially given I take to social channels to combat my boredom, so the light you shed on this was extremely relatable. In regards to your statement about some social channels mirror face to face interactions, do you have any specific examples to draw on for elaboration purposes? I would love to know!!
Also if you get some time, I would appreciate it if you could give my paper a read and leave your thoughts! https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/624/millennials-and-their-habitual-facebook-use-are-pioneering-the-growth-of-the-online-foodie-community/
Hi Georgina,
I’m so glad that you enjoyed reading my paper, and that you found it informational. In regards to your question about social channels mirroring face to face interactions, I think that FaceTime/video calling is a perfect example. Video calling imitates real life interactions as we are able to hear someones live tone, see their facial expressions and body language; which we are not able to seen in interactions such as messaging.
Thanks,
Ike
Hey Ikeoluwapo, I enjoyed your paper on Online Communities.
Your paper was a positive outlook on online communication since the COVID-19 pandemic. I agree with your statement that we can never substitute the interaction with a physical fact to face connection or interaction. Online communication is a tool that, if used correctly, can help many people connect on a daily basis. What do you think about social media platforms being the tool to spread misinformation? I have written a paper on this topic if you would like to read below. I really enjoyed your paper, I felt like it was a positive look on social media, which is really refreshing.
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/1164/social-media-infodemic-and-the-real-impact-on-our-community/
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your comment on my paper. I’m glad to hear that the you too resonate with the comments that I have made in my paper, and that you appreciated hearing about the positive aspects of social media – which I think is so important to highlight. I have left a few comments earlier about misinformation during the pandemic. To consolidate what I said in other comments I think that misinformation is one of the unfortunate outcomes of increased social media usage. I think that individuals need to be held more accountable about the information they are sharing on social media, and that they are well informed before posting. Educated people, posting about topics they are educated on with help put a stop to the rapid spread of misinformation.
I look forward to reading your paper.
Thanks,
Ike
Hi Ike!
I really enjoyed reading your paper, and I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with the premise, of your argument, having resorted to social media in the interim as a means of communication, whilst COVID ravaged the world. I also appreciate the fact that you acknowledge the drawbacks of social media. I concur that it shouldn’t be considered a viable long term substitute to social interaction, but rather utilised in a manner that facilitates positive social experiences in the meantime.
Well done!
Regards,
Josh.
Hi Ike,
I really enjoyed reading your paper! Well done. I agree that during the height of COVID-19 pandemic, the use of social media helped increase accessibility to networked communities and foster communication, especially during periods of isolation for those who were physically distanced from loved ones due to geographical restrictions. It definitely helped me stay connected and check in with my family and friends especially when NSW restricted their residents to 5km radius movement within their local government area (LGA)!
As we gradually continue on with life and learn to live with the COVID-19 pandemic, do you think there there are any negative impacts to isolated individuals’ overall mental health and well-being who have become more and more dependent on social online networked communities? Some of my friends who live by themselves but have actively been part of these social online communities, have confessed a fear of being physically around people after being fairly isolated from friends and family during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Do you think social media has impacted their social skills and ability to gradually transition back into the physical world, and what solution would you suggest to help overcome this so-called fear either through the support of online communities, or other?