The Decade of Internet Communities

I love the internet: it connects people. And while the internet has connected people for a quarter-century, I’ve been noticing a growing emphasis on community. The internet is moving from consumption to interaction; internet users are moving from passive to active.

Communities are becoming stronger because technology is doing a better job directing us to people with shared identities and shared interests. On Facebook, we needed our real-world friend graphs to form the foundation for our feeds. TikTok doesn’t need to know our friends; its algorithm quickly hones in on what content and which creators will most ... See more

Communities can ensure they stay niche and engaged by creating friction to join. Access to Bilibili communities is difficult to achieve. Users need to pass a 100-question multiple choice test within 60 minutes.