Knowing your neighbors : an analysis of the social media app “Nextdoor” and human interaction

The advent of technological advancement in the past decade has radically changed the way people communicate with one another, even those who live next door to us. The online application, Nextdoor, aims to provide a digital space for neighbors to get to know one another, and my study explores the effects of a geographically-based social network on the St. John’s neighborhood in Austin, Texas. Using demographic analysis, the racial and ethnic makeup of the geographic neighborhood was compared to that of the online participants. Posts on the Nextdoor app were analyzed and coded for the themes in their content, and a survey was distributed digitally to the Nextdoor community members to obtain rich qualitative data. My study shows evidence for a racial disparity between the geographic and online community and a fairly monetized community with the most salient theme being for sale and free. Ultimately, my study elaborates the great connectedness available to Nextdoor community members as well as the disconnectedness and division that social media can produce.