Abstract:
This paper examines the role of Facebook in the development of communities. Facebook is an online social media and networking service founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. Originally created for university students to find one another, it has now expanded into one of the largest social networking sites on the internet. Accessible via any device, Facebook has over three billion monthly users worldwide. Through the use of services such a groups, messenger and pages, the platform has allowed individuals to create and stay connected to their communities. Overall, this paper discusses the features of Facebook and how they develop and nurture our sense of community in the modern world.
Introduction:
Facebook has allowed us to build more communities in our every day lives. Communities have existed and evolved over time as the world has developed. “Communities have developed over time from small close-knit groups where everyone knew each other intimately to the vast communities of today where members can global” (Matisi, 2021, para. 2). Facebook claims that community is at the core app experience. A handful of people believe that communities and relationships were ‘better’ prior to social media and technology (Hampton & Wellman, 2018), but with proven studies it shows that the rise of the digital world has allowed us to feel more connected with others across multiple communities. Prior to technology and the expansion Facebook, the only relationships people had were typically limited to the general proximity of where they lived, worked, studied and congregated (Dhaliwal 2022). With over 5 billion downloads, Facebook has 2.9 billion monthly active users and is one of the largest social media networks on the internet (Iqbal 2023). Now, we can join a community on Facebook by simply joining a group, connecting on messenger or liking a page. Facebook allows every individual to feel included within any aspect of their life, whether it be neighbourhood groups, stay at home mum pages, online study groups or even family group chats. “The study of community is not about the study of one type of place or one type of bond, but rather the study of variation in context, communication, and technology” (Hampton & Wellman, 2018). Facebook is a key aspect in todays society to maintain and establish strong communities as it empowers us to express our desires, thoughts and feelings through speech, text, images, videos and performance.
Discussion:
1. Communication researches noticed a large shift in communication practice and the developments of “social networks”, which turned from face-to-face interactions among small communities into large digital connections (Soukup 2018). In 2010 Facebook created a feature called “groups’ which allowed private groups to be made and give individuals the opportunity to connect with others over topics, interests or discussions in a private online group setting. This can differentiate from music, memes, travel, politics or even property. Facebook (2020) states, “Groups are a place to communicate about shared interests with certain people.” Facebooks goal when creating this feature was “to grow diverse perspectives and increase authentic conversations across Public Groups, while giving admins powerful new tools to keep their groups safe and the quality of conversations high” (Facebook 2020). The groups feature on Facebook allows us to create an online community with existing offline communities. Many students create and join ‘groups’ as a way to share, engage and educate each other when they cannot physically connect in-person. In the 2016-2017 academic year, 160 second-year medical students enrolled at UAMS, joined a Facebook discussion group. “Overall, students strongly agreed that the Facebook discussion group fostered better rapport with faculty, helped content learning, and improved emotional well-being. Also, they felt more comfortable seeking academic help after using the discussion group. They reported a slight preference for Facebook over email as a medium for asking questions, but no preference for either as a medium for distributing announcements. Students overwhelmingly recommended that the discussion group should be continued in future years” (Henry et al., 2020, para. 3). Facebook groups can also be helpful for individuals in the creative industries like musicians, artists or dancers. By creating a group it allows creatives to connect with others who create the same art form. Individuals can share tips, tricks and opportunities to one another virtually, from all corners of the world. Those interested in travel can also become apart of a community through Facebook groups where individuals can share travel advice, ask questions or recommendations. ‘Bali Bogans’, is a well known Facebook group with over 349,000 Australian members that are share the same interest of travelling to Bali. This group has become well known to Australians travelling to Bali and creates an open forum for individuals to ask questions on anything regarding their travels. It has also created a space for local businesses to connect with Australians travelling to their country and provide a ‘Bali Bogan’ approved experience. This group has created a community of Australians who all share the common interest of travel to Bali and are willing to support and assist each other to have a wonderful experience. Facebook Groups provide a place to create a community where you can connect and communicate with people who share common interests.
2. New communication technologies make instant and consistent contact possible. In the past, “social ties and communities fizzled due to life events such as moving, graduating school, finishing studies, changing jobs, going travelling or getting married” (Hampton & Wellman, 2018). Facebook give us the chance to stay in contact with individuals from past or existing communities that may have been lost due to life changes, but it also provides us with the opportunity to connect with people from across the globe that share common interests, therefore enhancing the overall number of a communities we are in. Created in 2011, Facebooks feature ‘Messenger’ has created a way for individuals to remain connected in real time. It allows users to connect seamlessly through text, picture and audio. Messenger allows you to message both one-on-one and in groups, it also includes GIFS, stickers and emojis (Moreau 2021). Media files like photo and video are easily sent to one another and audio and video calls can be made via Messenger. The Facebook service also allows you to play games with other users, send money and even send your location. This feature has made it a lot easier to stay connected to friends and family, colleagues and acquaintances within your communities. Prior to Facebook and digital technology, if we wanted to stay connected with others we would have to know their phone number and even before phones, we had to know their address to send letters in order to stay connected. It would be luck of the draw on whether someone was available to answer a phone call and would take weeks or even months to receive and respond to a letter. Now, with modern technology and Messenger, it has become easier to stay connected to others in our community, knowing when they’re active online and the ability to receive a response within seconds. A community chat is a public chat created specifically for a Facebook group, so real-time conversations with other group members can seamlessly happen. Many groups across Facebook including ‘Bali Bogans’ include this feature which allows travellers in Bali to chat in real time with other travellers that are also in Bali and help one another out with any issues, queries or suggestions. This can be super helpful in certain situations that need an immediate response or urgent assistance. Instant messaging platforms like Messenger make it easier for individuals to stay connected to their personal and online communities in real-time no matter their location across the globe.
3. Prior to the digital world, news-boards and newspapers were a place to share business or personal updates and information. This was a way people could connect with their customers or fans without face-to-face contact. Social media platforms like Facebook provide a powerful tool for businesses to engage with their customers and community through text, images, videos, sounds, stories, posts and live streams. Facebook (n.d.) states that, “Pages are places on Facebook where artists, public figures, businesses, brands, organisations and charities can connect with their fans or customers. When someone likes or follows a Page on Facebook, they can start seeing updates from that Page in their Feed”. People tend to join communities that they trust and align with their values, something that has relatability to their own personal lives or preferences. Much like a personal Facebook page, Pages provide a place where people can share an idea, product or service and others can engage with the content that is shared or posted. They can engage through liking the posts, sharing them on their own personal pages and even commenting along with people who share the same interest that the page promotes. Pages creates a platform for a community of people to engage and connect on similarities. Social media “supports the exchange of ideas and information to create and facilitate communities” (Picard 2015). The ‘Bali Bogans’ group allows pages on Facebook to share and promote their business through the group. It allows business owners to share and connect with a community of people that may be interested in their product or service when arriving in Bali. It ultimately creates more communities as it connects the individuals with other people outside of the ‘Bali Bogans’ group that also share an interest in a certain product or service within Bali. Facebook Pages reintroduce multidirectional communication which allows us to discuss, debate, share and exchange information.
Conclusion:
Facebook has opened up avenues for communities to unite from all around the world, bringing people together with common interests and real life connections. Communities have always existed, from sitting around the fire and engaging through food, music and dance to now sitting online and chatting with strangers over similar interests, only the structure has changed and developed with the times (Matisi 2021). Matthews (2016) states, “Social connections and communication that were previously only possible at a local level, or that were limited by telephone and postal services, could now occur instantly over vast distances”. Facebook allows people to create and nurture communities in real time through their features like Groups, Messenger and Pages. It provides a platform for individuals to share their thoughts and feelings through text, image and videos, from personal interests to political views. ‘Bali Bogans’ is the perfect example where over 350,000 Australians connect through Facebook to share their travel experiences in Bali with a community of people that share the same interest of travelling to popular holiday destination. “Social media has contributed positively to the fostering of strong communities, creating diverse and widespread networks and feelings of belonging within those communities by allowing people to communicate freely on multiple levels through a simple and efficient means of communication” (Matisi 2021). Facebook is a universal platform that enables individuals to unite together and create a virtual community through online communication.
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Hi L, The thing is the paper is mainly concentrated on the African continent particularly.If you make an analysis of…