What is the impact of online social networks on community building and social support?

Introduction

The impact of online social networks on community building and social support has been a subject of extensive research. These platforms have transformed how individuals interact, share information, and provide support to one another. This synthesis aims to present key insights from various studies on how online social networks influence community building and social support.

Key Insights

Enhanced Social Support and Positive Affect:
- Supportive interactions on social networking sites are positively associated with perceived social support, sense of community, and life satisfaction.
- Higher brokerage in online health communities results in more social support, while higher influence results in more socially-focused support.
Community Involvement and Social Capital:
- Online community networks can enhance social capital and community involvement, particularly among individuals with preexisting community ties .
- Social capital, which includes trust and collaboration, is crucial for sustaining both online and offline communities.
Sense of Community in Brand Networks:
- A sense of community in brand online social networks leads to increased brand commitment and engagement.
Structural Control and Sustainability:
- Online networks require structural control to maintain their attractiveness, credibility, and content value, especially during their early stages.
Social Contagion and Spending Behavior:
- Social interactions in online communities can influence users' spending behavior, with network ties having a greater effect on hedonic product purchases compared to functional products.
Mixed Impact on Society:
- While online social networks have positive effects such as increased social interaction and support, they also pose challenges like Internet Addiction Disorder.

Conclusion

Online social networks significantly impact community building and social support by enhancing social interactions, perceived support, and sense of community. They contribute to social capital and community involvement, particularly among those already engaged in their communities. However, the sustainability of these networks requires careful management and structural control. Additionally, the influence of social networks extends to consumer behavior, particularly in online communities. Despite some negative aspects, the overall impact of online social networks on society is largely positive, fostering greater interaction and support among users.

What is the impact of online social networks on community building and social support?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

How does online social networking enhance life satisfaction? The relationships among online supportive interaction, affect, perceived social support, sense of community, and life satisfaction

Online social networking enhances life satisfaction by increasing perceived social support, affect, sense of community, and life satisfaction through supportive interactions with friends.

Dynamic perspectives on social characteristics and sustainability in online community networks

Online community networks can improve collaboration when supported by social characteristics and structural control, but performance may decrease without group commitment policies.

The Impact of Community Computer Networks on Social Capital and Community Involvement

Community computer networks like Blacksburg Electronic Village improve quality of life but do not significantly increase community involvement or attachment except for a subset of high-scoring individuals.

Social Support in Online Health Communities: A Social-Network Approach

Higher brokerage and influence in online health communities lead to more socially-focused support, but less self-focused support, with the marginal effect decreasing.

SUPPORTING COMMUNITY AND BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL

Online communities can strengthen communities and foster social capital development, benefiting both online and offline communities.

Social Dollars in Online Communities: The Effect of Product, User, and Network Characteristics

Social interaction in online communities increases users' in-game product purchases, with greater impact on hedonic products and user experience, while denser networks mitigate this effect.

The role of sense of community in brand online social networking

A sense of community in online brand social networking increases brand commitment, with perceived social support and overall self-brand connection being key predictors.

Community Networks: Where Offline Communities Meet Online

Community computer networking can strengthen social contact, community engagement, and attachment, but may negatively impact individuals with lower levels of education, extroversion, efficacy, and community belonging.

Impact of Social Networking Sites on Society

Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have had a positive impact on society, fostering interaction and promoting communication among diverse populations.

The role of social network websites in the consumer–brand relationship

Experiential and functional benefits of a brand's social network website positively influence consumer perception of relationship investment, leading to increased brand relationship quality and willingness to spread good word about the brand's site.

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