iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Online communities are now a mainstream part of American life: nearly four in ten U.S. adults participate in at least one, according to a Pew Research Center survey published October 14, 2026. Participation is even higher among adults ages 18 to 29, reaching 48%. Social-media sites and apps are the largest venue, although forums, games, messaging services and hobby platforms each support distinct communities.
Pew Research Center’s Pew-Knight Initiative surveyed 9,750 U.S. adults from May 26 through June 1, 2026, through its American Trends Panel. The survey represents the full U.S. adult population.
Pew defines an online community as “people connecting with others online, such as by joining or feeling part of a group or doing things together.” That definition includes social-media groups, discussion forums, group email or messaging, online video games and specialized services organized around a shared interest.
Who participates in online communities?
Nearly four in ten U.S. adults say they are part of an online community. Age is a major dividing line: 48% of adults ages 18 to 29 participate. The survey’s overall figure includes people who may belong to several communities and does not mean that every participant uses the same type of service.
#1 Best Overall
Where Americans find online communities
Social media is the leading venue category. About one-quarter of U.S. adults belong to an online community on a social-media site or app. Discussion forums are the next-largest category, with 15% of adults participating in communities on services such as Reddit, Nextdoor or Discord.
| Venue | Share of U.S. adults | Typical interaction |
|---|---|---|
| Social-media sites and apps | About 25% | Feeds, groups and ongoing social interaction |
| Discussion forums | 15% | Threaded questions, advice and topic-focused conversation |
| Hobby-specific services | About 5% | Interest-based activity on services such as Goodreads, Strava, Ravelry or Letterboxd |
| Video sites, online games and messaging apps | Not separately stated in the report | Live or recorded video, gameplay, group chats and direct discussion |
These categories describe where respondents participate; they are not presented as mutually exclusive. A person can belong to a social-media group, a gaming community and a local messaging group at the same time.
What online communities are about
Hobbies and local areas are the two most common subjects, each attracting about one in five U.S. adults. Roughly one in ten adults participate in communities about movies, books or television, video games, work or a profession, or fan interests. Political and political-issue communities are less common at 8%.
Recommended Free Tools
Gaming is especially concentrated among younger adults
Twenty-seven percent of adults under 30 belong to a video-game community. The corresponding share is 16% among adults in their 30s and 40s and 4% among adults 50 and older. The survey also finds younger adults particularly likely to participate in beauty and fashion, entertainment, hobby and fan communities.
Why people use their main community
For the online community they visit most, at least about eight in ten participants cite staying informed, having fun, or getting advice and recommendations as reasons for participating. More than half describe information and fun as major reasons. Smaller majorities say they use the community to share their thoughts or receive support.
Just over half cite feeling accepted. Meeting new people and dealing with drama are less commonly identified as major reasons. Age differences are clearest around meeting people: roughly six in ten adults under 30 say this is a reason they use their most-visited community, compared with 46% of adults in their 30s and 40s.
How active and valuable are these communities?
- About seven in ten participants say online communities add something to their lives; 29% say they bring little or no value.
- About six in ten say their most-visited community provides something they could only find online.
- Eighty-five percent belong to more than one online community.
- Seventy-four percent post or share in their most-visited community.
- Fifty-six percent visit that community daily.
- About one-third say their main community also has in-person gatherings.
The figures show that participation is usually active rather than limited to occasionally reading posts. They also indicate that online communities can offer access, expertise or fellow members that participants do not find offline.
Are online relationships as meaningful as in-person relationships?
Americans remain divided. About half say relationships formed online are not as meaningful as relationships formed in person. About one-third say they can be just as meaningful, while 20% are unsure.
Best Value
Adults under 30 are the only age group in which more respondents say online relationships can be equally meaningful. Among this group, 54% hold that view, compared with 14% of adults ages 65 and older. Looking only at people who already belong to an online community, 48% say online relationships can be as meaningful as in-person ones.
The broader social effect of the internet is also unsettled: 31% of Americans say it tends to drive people apart, 11% say it tends to bring people together, and 58% say it does both equally.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the findings mean
The survey places online communities alongside other ordinary forms of social participation, not at the margins of internet use. Social media reaches the largest share of adults, while forums and hobby services support narrower, more focused interests. Most participants use their main community for practical information, entertainment, advice or recommendations, and many contribute content themselves.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsAt the same time, participation does not produce a single consensus about connection. Younger adults are more likely to view online relationships as equal in meaning to offline relationships, whereas older adults are much more skeptical. The result is a picture of online communities that is both highly active and still contested as a form of social connection.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
