The media outlets The Verge and Vox Media conducted a study of 2,000 adults representative of the American population on their views of online communities in the post-social media and artificial intelligence era. Here are the five key takeaways from this highly colorful report!
1- Major Platforms Are Losing Ground
According to the study, major traditional players (Google, Facebook) are facing more disruption than ever. These platforms are losing authenticity, and trust in them is gradually eroding. Two-thirds of respondents say that the quality of information is deteriorating, while 42% find that a search engine like Google is becoming less and less useful.
It should be noted that for 76% of Americans, a quarter of their searches on Google appear to be paid content when they shop online… And only 14% find this content “very useful.”
Another striking finding: 61% of younger generations (Gen Z) and 53% of Millennials now use artificial intelligence to search for information on a topic instead of Google.
2- The Failure of Online Social Connection
The study’s authors summarize the emerging trend with the phrase: “from people to scroll.”
In other words, just because internet users are more connected doesn’t mean they are truly connected to the rest of the world. Three-quarters feel more fragmented, and 90% believe that social media creates filter bubbles.
3- Online Communities as New Spaces for Safety and Engagement
One of the major insights from the study is that internet users increasingly value small, restricted communities. In fact, 53% believe that an online community should not have more than 200 members.
“The niche beyond the numbers,” as the authors put it. Interestingly, respondents feel most connected on WhatsApp (37%) and Substack (37%).
A strong community relies on two major elements:
- Governance (with clear rules and active moderation)
- Interaction (with private messaging options and opportunities for members to contribute)
4- Content as a Key Driver of Community Engagement
We could add a third key element: content! Content is one of the primary factors influencing participation in a community. This also redefines the notion of engagement: observation can be active. “Digital introverts” can feel a sense of belonging to a community simply by following discussions and consuming content.
As a result, 90% of people typically do nothing in a community, 9% post occasionally, and only 1%… create 80% of the content!
