Getting connectedThe digital age has brought about a brand new kind of community. Where communities used to be limited by location, now communities are only limited by characteristics. People create communities in a digital space that transcend location completely. There are many different online communities, from subreddits to forums to fandoms, if it's something that people can be interested in, there's probably a community grouped around it.
People have always formed clubs to share their interests with other people, and in some ways, online communities are no different. But the major difference is the potential for size and diversity. People from many different countries can all meet in the same online space. Language is barely a barrier anymore, since internet browsers like Google Chrome will translate most languages fairly accurately. English-speaking people can connect with Italian- or French-speaking people very easily now, whereas thirty years ago that would've been a major barrier, not to mention the distance. Of course, this gives people a way to connect in many other ways as well. People can unite under social causes, collecting funds, signatures, and strength in numbers to affect change. |
Tumblr's most active communitiesthe top 10 Most active subreddits |