Started back in 2017, ‘nowthatsfunny1_’ is now a community of over 130k like-minded people, seemingly united by a love of funny memes. But that is just one of the countless groups and pages dedicated to one topic or another, showing how important it is for people to belong to a group of like-minded individuals, even if over distance.

While talking about the significance of online communities, Dr. Lynn Zubernis noted that people are naturally motivated to form communities. “In an evolutionary sense, if a human was not part of a community and was isolated, that usually meant being eaten by something. So we retain a strong need for a sense of belongingness,” she told Bored Panda in a recent interview.

“In today's fragmented society, finding a group to join is not always easy,” Dr. Zubernis continued. “Neighbors may not know each other, or may have little in common. Families may be geographically spread out. That leads people to look for community elsewhere, and having a shared interest or passion makes finding an appropriate group easier. That's why fandoms are often important communities for people, because it gives strangers an immediate bond of something in common, and they can build a relationship—either virtually or in person—from there.”

According to Dr. Zubernis, we need social support and connection to be healthy. “Social and emotional connectivity is one of the most powerful weapons against stress, loneliness and depression – particularly important in a time when loneliness has been called an 'epidemic'.

“Having a support network is associated with greater resilience and lower chance of developing post traumatic stress symptoms after a negative life event. In fact, the World Health Organization recommends improving social connectedness as a public health strategy to reduce rates of suicide.

“The more socially connected we are, the more likely we are to be happy,” the expert added. “Being part of a community is even associated with increased longevity. So, we're highly motivated to form communities.”

According to Dr. Zubernis, online communities function in similar ways to in-person ones; netizens form virtual communities for reasons ranging from entertainment and finding friends to searching for a place to belong.

“They can form around anything that people enjoy or are interested in – a sports team, a TV show, a breed of dogs, a Youtuber, a celebrity, and so on. When we're passionate about something, we naturally want to find others who share that passion – it's often described as finding like-minded people who are the only ones who ‘get it’. That's a good feeling, a way of feeling validated in our own proclivities,” the clinical psychologist explained.

Discussing how the internet has shaped interactions, Dr. Lynn Zubernis noted that there have been both positive and negative influences. “The positives include making finding a ‘place to belong’ easier, without geographical proximity required, so the scope of possible others is vastly widened. People might initially reach out to others based on a shared affinity, but the hyperconnected networks they build end up being useful not just to share that passion but to connect to others and form personal relationships that can be long lasting and life changing.

“On the other hand, the perceived anonymity of the internet can facilitate people who are already prone to bullying doing just that, and doing it more effectively and efficiently thanks to social media's algorithms and the ease with which one can hide behind an avatar. In my experience, many people who join virtual communities also seek out some of those individuals in person, coming together for concerts or conventions or other kinds of meet-ups.”

“The fact that online communities are groups means that basic group dynamic theory also applies, and sometimes that can also be a negative,” Dr. Zubernis added. “In-group/out-group behavior is part of all groups, including virtual communities. Identifying an out-group and vilifying those people serves to shore up group identity and self esteem, increasing cohesion in the in-group. It also means that the internet is full of group A attacking group B in every possible permutation.”

“For some people with disabilities or other reasons why face-to-face communication is difficult or even impossible, online communities facilitate and enrich virtual relationships that are a main source of support and validation. For most of us, time and distance make relying on online communication a significant part of our relationships, as well as the way we gain and share information,” Dr. Zubernis told Bored Panda, summing up the significance of online communities in people’s lives nowadays.”