From Google's India-focused app Neighbourly to the wellknown Nextdoor app, social media specifically targeted at connecting neighbors is gaining ground. Whether being used to rate neighborhood attractions, encourage borrowing or sharing of resources, report suspicious neighborhood activity or simply to find a way to make connections, these apps are aimed at decreasing social isolation and increasing community interactions.

#Agtwitter provides a space for social connection among farmers. What started as a hashtag to disseminate advice about farming practices and farm equipment has grown into a digital space where people can connect and even vent about their personal challenges. In a region characterized by high suicide rates, Agtwitter helps lessen the often-isolating expanses of America’s mountain west.

Digital platforms can provide a space for those living apart from their religious communities to affirm their identity. From hash tags to online academies, Muslims who otherwise would not have regular access to a mosque or religious network are creating their own communities online. During Ramadan, the communities offer support and allow people to break their fasts with others.

In a city that many people of color consider unwelcoming, social media groups offer a path to visibility and community. The group, Young, Black, and Social, connects thousands of millennials in Boston to their peers, as well as social events and services. The group coordinates with other organizations and even event promoters to create a community and make people of color who are moving to Boston feel connected.