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20 Sep 2020 06:00AM (Updated: 09 Feb 2021 08:41AM)

SINGAPORE: An acquaintance of mine recently told me about his experience with his online neighbourhood chat group.

He was only two days into joining this community on WhatsApp when a frantic neighbour started accusing others in the chat group of stealing her plants and threatened to call the police on them.

The next day there was another storm in the chat group when another member took offence at the neighbourhood committee chairperson sending notice of a regular online chat session with the local Member of Parliament.

His grievance: This chat should be apolitical. After being reprimanded by other members for over-reacting and not understanding the intent of the message, he exited the group in a huff.

Such stories - bad and good - are not uncommon these days. In recent years, there has been a growing number of Instant Messaging (IM) groups within residential communities - whether on WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook Messenger, among others.

These groups are not limited to high-density residential communities in HDB and private condominium estates but are found in landed estates as well.

IM groups enable people to get to know their neighbours better beyond a nod of the head and a "hello" in the elevator.

For instance, a group of Punggol residents, who first came together to save on shipping costs for overseas purchases, eventually started meeting for meals, with kids and the elderly in tow. In Boon Lay, some residents have organised gatherings for bird enthusiasts in the estate.

These chat groups bring residents with similar interests together - to brainstorm ideas for reducing waste or saving costs in the estate, for example.

In doing so, they have also become a way for people to participate in community life. Some members of these groups attest to how such chat groups bring back the kampung spirit. Members become more involved in the community's welfare, even flagging suspicious activity or faulty public amenities to one another.

Research on the impact of online communities goes back to pre-social media days and show that interactions among like-minded people have several benefits. Proponents of online communities such as Howard Rheingold talked about a new kind of social organisation - one that is based on free expression, a non-hierarchical structure, many-to-many access and volunteer effort.

People gather online and participate in communal activities such as exchanging information, offering advice and providing assistance to one another.

However, as with all group interactions, neighbourhood chat groups have their pitfalls and pains. Neighbours sometimes bicker online over communal matters - shoe spreading in the common corridor and dog poop in walkways, for example. And a loquacious few spam chat groups with irrelevant information and fake news.

I have heard that, during the circuit breaker, some residents who flouted social distancing rules were named and shamed in their community IM groups, creating discord.

This damage to affective ties in a chat group can spill over to the real world and disrupt relationships between neighbours.

So, while digital platforms such as IM apps can bring communities together, the opposite can also be true. Measures are needed, therefore, to ensure these groups work effectively, without harming the social fabric of the neighbourhood.

These measures should take into account three fundamental features of computer-mediated communication - the social psychology of media use, its frictionless nature and the importance of moderation.
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF MEDIA USE
Ever wondered why people online always seem livelier, more spontaneous and have more to say than their real selves?

Asynchronicity and seeming invisibility are key features of the online medium. They exert a disinhibitive effect and encourage excessive responses. This means we end up saying a lot more online than we would face-to-face with another person.

When we communicate online, we also lack the social cues that we are accustomed to receiving in the real world. Online communication is characterised by economic expressions, abbreviations and emoticons.

In the real world, we read facial expressions, body language, change in pitch and tone. A raise of an eyebrow or a shift of the eyes can clue us into how people are responding to our repartee, prompting us to change the direction of the conversation, clarify our intentions or even apologise before further damage is done.

So, before jumping into a conversation or posting a comment in a chat, we should pause and ask if we would say the same thing in person. We would all benefit from recognising the social psychological forces at play whenever we engage in online communication.
FRICTIONLESS NATURE OF MEDIA USE
The term "frictionless" gained widespread notoriety after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg used it to describe changes to the platform's technical infrastructure.

A frictionless experience is one that enables users to interact with content and with one another with minimal effort. In such an environment, immediate reactions are given greater premium over reflection.

In the past, sharing things online required a lot more effort. Before clicking the "send" button, we had to first copy the URL or an entire chunk of text, open up an email or a message box, and then paste the URL or text.

Today, the "forward" and "share" options make information-sharing a breeze, and this lack of "friction'' is a key contributor to the spread of undesirable content, such as hate speech and false information.

Such seemingly "thought-less" behaviour can have its pitfalls as we may inadvertently forward messages that may offend or alienate others for the composition of such neighbourhood groups are rarely homogenous.

Research, such as the one published by Natalie Dixon of Goldsmiths College in 2017, shows that while neighbours join such groups for security and neighbourliness, it can often be a double-edged sword. "A WhatsApp group chat offers a sense of rootedness among the flows of people and things in a neighbourhood.

This sense can be understood to hold, even stabilise, a community through feelings of collective presence and being in this together."

She added that this very process can however also alienate others.

It is no wonder that the likes of Instagram and Twitter are beginning to recognise the pitfalls of frictionless environments.

Late last year, leveraging on artificial intelligence to detect bullying on its platform, Instagram rolled out in selected countries a hate-speech filter that warns users of the potential offensiveness of their content before they post.

And in June this year, Twitter said it will begin testing a new feature that will prompt users to think before they tweet articles that they have not read to "promote informed discussion".

To introduce friction in neighbourhood chat groups, bots can be used to send reminders and mini interventions to users to prompt reflection and suppress their instinct to respond immediately.

For instance, Telegram users who start chats and channels can either develop their own bots or consider options, some of which are free, from a growing market of bot developers.
MODERATION IS KEY
In addition to leveraging technical tools to increase friction, the third integral ingredient for civil group communication is moderation. In a face-to-face group chat, an individual, either designated or self-designated, plays the role of a moderator. This person ensures everyone has a say, minimises domination by any individuals or groups, and upholds decorum.

In the context of neighbourhood chat groups, it is usually easier to start than sustain online communities. Usually, there are no ground rules when a community chat group is started, simply because they tend to be intimate groups of a few people.

However, these groups can grow quickly in size. So, ground rules should be set up early and moderators appointed. Moderators should be active and consistent in ensuring compliance with the desired etiquette, deal with problematic users, and intervene when discussions get heated.

What could also work is when all members assume the responsibility for protecting the space and making it safe for all.

Moving ahead, one thing is clear. In order for people to reap the benefits of an instant community in a neighbourhood chat group, time and effort are needed to ensure an inclusive space for all, just as in the real world.
Carol Soon is Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Society & Culture department at the Institute of Policy Studies. She is also Vice Chair of the Media Literacy Council and Principal Investigator at the NUS Centre for Trusted Internet and Community.

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Commentary: Are our neighbourhood chat groups starting to be a pain?

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The damage to affective ties in a chat group can spill over to the real world and disrupt relationships between neighbours, says Carol Soon from the Institute of Policy Studies.

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Neighbours aren’t greeting each other, talking as much, as interactions shift online: HDB survey

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Neighbours are not exchanging greetings or striking up casual conversations as much as before, amid a trend of residents in public housing flats turning to social media or chat groups to interact with people in their community.

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POV: Your neighbourhood group chat is buzzing... | POV: Your neighbourhood group chat is buzzing. Everyone's talking about a weird sound in the middle of the night. What could it be?

Uncover the mystery... | By Singapore Kindness Movement | Facebook

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1.7K views, 13 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Singapore Kindness Movement: POV: Your neighbourhood group chat is buzzing. Everyone's talking about a weird sound in...

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社交网络群组带来的2个利是：

第一，……
第二，……

（可写多过2个）

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虽然社交网络群组带来了不少利，但也存在一些弊端。

社交网络群组带来的弊端是……/
社交网络群组可能会造成……

（可多写）

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可以让居民有个归属感可以互相帮助

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可以让居民有个归属感
可以互相帮助，沟通

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社交网络群组带来的2个利是：

1. 缺少资料时，可以在共享资料的群组上借别人的资料。
2. 想知道社区最近发生的信息是，可以上社区信息的群组上看一看最新的信息。

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能跟邻居交流
要是有问题，可以能跟另据讨论

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两个利是：促进邻居之间的关系，让他们更容

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两个利是：促进邻居之间的关系，让他们更容易了解活动的内容，一个弊是另据们可能会在网络族群上争吵

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弊端：有些人在社区网络群组里发很多简讯，让人觉得很烦。 有些人也在群组里发假信息，让人门感到着急

利：可以促进邻居的感情，培养友情

利：可以和邻居分享资源，也可以一起团购

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社交网络群组带来的两个利是：1.

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社交网络群组带来的两个利是：
1. 邻居可以互相沟通，帮助彼此。
2. 邻居们也可以谈谈生活的事情，一起加强邻居之间的关系。

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让邻居有更亲的关系让邻居活得更美

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让邻居有更亲的关系
让邻居活得更美好，有困难的时候，有人会帮助他

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群组里可能有些人爱管闭事，不会尊重个人的

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群组里可能有些人爱管闭事，不会尊重个人的隐私

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可以知道在社区刚刚发生的事，因为那个社区信息群组看

还可以把我们跟邻居之间的关系做得更好，更和谐

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1. 让邻居之间的感情更亲切
2. 可以一起团购，互相帮助

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如果有困难时，可以到社区网络群组寻求帮助

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如果有困难时，可以到社区网络群组寻求帮助。
不但促进了居民之间的交流，也让凌厉之间的感情更加深厚。

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有更多的沟通
做事更容易

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这回让邻居自导有什么给关心他们的东西

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这回让邻居自导有什么给关心他们的东西
会跟其他的邻居的关系变得跟哈

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1. 可以让邻居们更多沟通

2. 邻居们可以需要求助的时候，在群组里寻找帮助

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1. 可以一起团购。跟邻居一起上网团购时，不但价格便宜，还能节省运费
2. 共享资源。邻居之间可以互通有无，邻居之间的关系也会变得更好

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两个利是：
如果邻居们遇到了什么难事，在群组里的邻居可以互相帮助，分享他们有的资源和给劝告。
邻居们也可以互相认识，把在同在同组屋住的邻居认得更熟悉。

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可以和邻居一起团购，洁身生活开销

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可以和邻居一起团购，洁身生活开销
可以促进邻里关系

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有些人会发刻薄的信息，侮辱别人。

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有些人会发刻薄的信息，侮辱别人。

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虽然社交网络群组带来了不少利，但也存在一些弊端。例如，有些人可能会把假新闻发到群组上，不小心或者故意把错的新闻发给大家。

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虽然社交网络群组带来了不少利，但也存了一

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虽然社交网络群组带来了不少利，但也存了一些弊。
社交网络群组可能会导致邻居们发生矛盾，在群组上挣扎。

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例如，邻居可以和其他的邻居交换意见.

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例如，邻居可以和其他的邻居交换意见.

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在社区信息的群组，可以有人不好意思获得故意说假新闻

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很多人会一直在里面发无聊的信息

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很多人会一直在里面发无聊的信息

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如果在组群，可能会觉得需要一起和别的组员做活动。

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第一，可以认识更多和你一样的爱好，比如像

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第一，可以认识更多和你一样的爱好，比如像要一起购买，可以分享喜欢买的东西，有个更好的关系。
第二，当需要从邻居借东西的时候，可以通过社区网络组问如果别人有要借的东西。

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消息

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社交网络群组可能会造成邻居更少在外面见面