The Pros, Cons, and Controversies of Neighborhood Social Networks like Nextdoor and Beyond

During Halloween 2017, a 3-year-old boy named Ryan from Chicago missed out on trick-or-treating after being hospitalized. His mother turned to the EveryBlock social network with a heartfelt plea: Would neighbors be open to recreating Halloween for Ryan three days later? The response was overwhelmingly positive.

"It felt like being in an Amish community, as if someone had rung a bell, because people came out of nowhere to offer their help," the thankful husband shared with The Verge.

These stories highlight the appeal of neighborhood-focused social networks. Nextdoor stands as the largest of its kind, with private community sites now active in over 168,000 neighborhoods across the United States (a significant rise from 40,000 in 2014), alongside thousands of others in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. Other platforms like Neighborland, E-Democracy, and many private Facebook neighborhood groups also contribute to this networked community.

Most neighborhood websites and groups require you to verify your residency or obtain permission from the group admin, ensuring that conversations remain relevant to the local community. Additionally, you must use your real name, offering a safeguard against the hostility that can emerge from online anonymity.

'Can Anyone Recommend a Good Contractor?'

Rosta Farzan, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh and expert on online communities, notes that when people are asked why they join neighborhood social networks, they often express a longing for the genuine human connections that come from interacting with local residents.

"People also value the local context, caring about issues that directly affect them on a daily basis, while showing little interest in matters beyond their immediate environment," explains Farzan, who has extensively studied interactions and the types of content shared on neighborhood platforms.

Mobilization refers to the process of identifying a need and utilizing local resources to fulfill it. This could involve anything from organizing a neighborhood yard sale or seeking a contractor recommendation, to opposing the development of a large multi-story parking structure nearby.

When neighborhood social networks function optimally, they offer exactly this advantage. They harness the creativity, contributions, and actions of local residents, who have the greatest stake in ensuring their community thrives and remains secure.

However, in reality, things are not always so straightforward.

'There's a Suspicious Man Lurking Around...'

Chris Englert, a writer residing in Denver, Colorado, created a Facebook group for her new neighborhood in a rapidly expanding subdivision. What began as a simple and helpful platform for newcomers to connect and share information soon deteriorated into constant arguments over trivial matters like dog waste. Despite the group's rule to avoid posting anything you wouldn’t say to someone face-to-face, the group’s members became increasingly hostile and aggressive.

A blogger from Philadelphia shared a colorfully R-rated rant about her local Facebook group, claiming that 9 out of 10 posts are negative and that nobody seems interested in taking real action to improve things. She reminds her readers, "Just a heads-up," she writes, "posting in private online groups doesn’t count as putting in the effort to be a good community member."

In 2015, the East Bay Express from Oakland, California, uncovered a more troubling issue with neighborhood social networks: racial profiling. Their investigation focused on Nextdoor's "Crime & Safety" section, meant to act as an online neighborhood watch. Unfortunately, people were using it to report "suspicious activity" that would have seemed far less suspicious if the individual involved wasn’t black or wearing a hoodie.

Nextdoor took action by completely overhauling its crime and safety reporting system and establishing a Racial Profiling Resource Center. Now, before posting a report, users are asked to consider if they would report the same activity if the individual involved were a different race. Furthermore, reports must now include specific identifying details about the suspect, such as appearance, rather than simply mentioning race or gender.

"We’re extremely proud of our work to combat racial profiling on Nextdoor and have received an overwhelmingly positive response from our community," says Kelsey Grady, director of global communications at Nextdoor, in an email. "We’ve witnessed a considerable reduction in problematic posts, and that trend continues to improve."

Farzan's research shows that although safety is a key reason people choose to connect with neighbors online, it doesn’t rank as the top motivator. Nextdoor's user data supports this. According to Grady, the most popular section on Nextdoor is "Classifieds" (items for sale or giveaway), which accounts for 32% of posts, followed by "Recommendations" (24%), where users seek help finding local services, such as the best restaurant, mechanic, or plumber.