Everyone wants community but no one wants to build it
Exploring what community means to me.
Everyone wants community but no one wants to build it
Community — Real Life
reallifemag.com
Wish I read this sooner!
We have the obligation of inventing another world because we know another world is possible. It’s up to all of us to build it together with our hands, coming into the scene, the scene of life.
— Augusto Boal (excerpted from Trade School: 2009–2019)
a community is defined not by common interests or physical space, but as “a group of people who share mutual concern for one another”. It’s the difference between someone you feel you could call on for help in the event of a 3am plumbing emergency, versus “someone you technically ate pizza with” once.
Elle Hunt • I want community – but am I prepared to put the work in?
absolutely
Because people increasingly socialise online, there also has been an “actual erosion in social skills”. For younger people in particular, the loss of experience and opportunities throughout the pandemic has resulted in a lower appetite for social risk, he says: “They’re more comfortable texting than they are talking.”
Elle Hunt • I want community – but am I prepared to put the work in?
I mean, yes, I knew this, but having it elaborated with such brevity is exactly what I was looking for
When it’s real, present and felt, community can be a source of social connection, belonging, shared purpose and meaning. More often – and increasingly, in the absence of other social safety nets – it’s invoked in the abstract as something we desire, or should be working toward.
Elle Hunt • I want community – but am I prepared to put the work in?
Interesting how the author points out that often, community is invoked in the abstract “in the absence of other social safety nets”
Within such virtual spaces, “community” is a shorthand for interaction — not necessarily belonging. From a business standpoint, community is a means to harness customer loyalty. From fitness companies like Peloton to beauty and fashion brands like Glossier and Victoria’s Secret PINK, brand communities have become essential marketing mechanisms, esp... See more
Vox • Brands want to be more than your friend. They want community.
on how brands leverage the concept of community for profit and brand development
The promise of community begins to feel disingenuous when what’s described is little more than a euphemism for a targeted demographic of interested consumers. Is there any other reason to facilitate community if not for a business to sell more products and accrue more members? Is it possible to find real community beyond the parameters of one’s con... See more
Vox • Brands want to be more than your friend. They want community.
Is it possible to find real community beyond the parameters of one’s consumerist interests?
More grassroots – and possibly more impactful – efforts feel less trustworthy. There is a community fridge in my city that has existed since 2021 and has a basic social media presence. But it isn’t updated often, and I find myself having a “huh maybe they’re not active anymore” assumption even though a) they posted 2 months ago and b) I could simpl... See more