The role of social media neighborhood groups during the lockdown
Topics: Communication
, Social Geography
, Qualitative Research
Keywords: Neighborhood, COVID-19, social media
Session Type: Virtual Paper
Day: Thursday
Session Start / End Time: 4/8/2021 01:30 PM (Pacific Time (US & Canada)) - 4/8/2021 02:45 PM (Pacific Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 46
Authors:
Tomasz Sowada,
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Abstract
The global lockdown related to the COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the world both globally and locally. Looking at the micro-scale allows you to notice its significant impact on small neighborhood communities. In some countries, significant restrictions on the mobility and operation of retail and service outlets were applied. Many city dwellers were subjected to quarantine and were unable to meet their basic needs.
The contemporary neighborhood is organized not only by traditional forms of direct communication but also via the Internet. Over the last years, it has been a support and complement to other forms of communication maintaining neighborhood relations. In the face of the recent events related to the COVID-19 pandemic, in many cases, the internet had to prove itself in a new role - the leading, and sometimes even the only mean of communication.
This paper outlines the role of online neighborhood groups during the pandemic. At the starting point, I asked myself the following research questions: (1) What neighborhood activities are carried out through a dedicated neighborhood group on Facebook during a pandemic? (2) What are the functions of on-line neighborhood activities for the local community and its members during a pandemic?
I performed netnography research using a participatory observation. The study subject consists of three neighborhood groups on Facebook. Data were collected both during the first and second waves of the pandemic. The quantitative and qualitative content analysis allowed to identify three functions of the studied social groups: (1) informational; (2) solidarity; (3) psychological.