Communities
What is Context ?
How young people experience life online
Online communities can develop in many digital environments. These include:
- web forums
- social media
- streaming sites
- online games
- messaging groups
Communities can be big, like a social media account dedicated to a sports team. Others might be smaller, like a page for a local group of residents.
Online communities can be:
- public
- private
- moderated
- unmoderated
Motivations and risks
Risks
Online communities can be involved in some online risks involving the harassment or singling out of other people or communities. These activities can include:
Online communities can present some online risks and harms involving criminal activity. These activities can include:
- cryptocurrency scams
- using the dark web
- sale of illegal goods or services
- fake start-ups or scams
- skin gambling
- nude sharing
- accessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
Online communities can present certain behaviours or content that could be harmful. These may include:
Motivations
Reasons young people can be attracted to online communities include:
- socialising and making friends
- shared interests or skills
- learning
- entertainment
- for help and support
- curiosity
- to support others
- to collaborate
- peer pressure
- to trollor harass others
Online communities can offer a range of benefits and opportunities to young people. These can be to:
- build relationships and social skills
- feel empowered and part of a group
- learn to work as a team
- experience happiness and wellbeing
- develop skills and hobbies
- get emotional and mental health support
- access learning and education
Young people’s voice
Young people’s experience of the context
Finding communities of people who have stuff in common with you. I know that I do this on [platform] … find people who share stuff in common … and it’s really nice because people that we immediately know don’t share them interests but someone on the internet does.
Online Harms Experienced by Children and Young People ‘ACCEPTABLE USE’ AND REGULATION Catch 22: 2021
I feel like when you’re online you put on a persona so when you're online you feel like you’re a lot more untouchable or people from your “real life” won't see these videos so you can act differently online to access another community and feel like you fit in somewhere. Being online gives you more confidence to do those sort of things.
Munchausen by internet: VoiceBox 2022
Where young people explore communities online
Read more about communities
Share your experience of online communities
You can tell us about:
- other terms you might have heard
- conversations you’ve had with young people
- a related platform or app
- another related risk or harm