How Online Chats Can Lead to Clothesline Chats

The digital world is sometimes blamed for keeping people from connecting in real life, but we believe it can also be a tool to bring a community closer. Getting to know your neighbors can be tricky. We’re all living incredibly busy lives, and even if you think you could just walk over and introduce yourself to your neighbors, it might just not happen. In fact, 28 percent of Americans don’t know any of their neighbors by name.

Knowing that over 65 percent of all online adults use social networking sites, a group of experienced entrepreneurs created a new solution: Nextdoor.com, a free and private social network for neighborhoods. 79 percent of Americans who use an online neighborhood forum talk with their neighbors in-person at least one time a month, compared to 61 percent of all Americans. We see this happening all the time with Nextdoor—online conversations are often brought offline.

Posts about lost dogs go up on Nextdoor and then the dog is returned in person. Neighbors plan parties on the site and then will get together for the big event. Members notice a crime increase in the neighborhood and use the site to organize a neighborhood watch meeting. By giving neighbors an easy way to meet one another and communicate, Nextdoor actually creates real-world connections that would not have happened without using technology.

For example, neighborhoods on the East Coast used Nextdoor to provide real-time Hurricane Sandy alerts, safety tips, updates on electricity, and met in person to offer their support. Other neighborhoods across the country used Nextdoor to organize fundraising events in their neighborhoods to help those in need.

We believe that amazing things can happen just by talking with the people next door. Technology is a powerful tool for making neighborhoods stronger, safer places to call home.