To get an insight into sharing practices, I asked participants to explain, if they had ever shared any of the aforementioned stories, why they had done so. The aim of this question was to understand why people would feel inclined to share these stories, to see if indeed the community’s culture was formed by narrative accrual.
The main reasons for sharing were: to explain (when asked about a story), to involve others, to share good content (that is either about making an impact in the world or that is personally significant), and for the emotional connection.
To explain
Ten main reasons were found why people would share stories about this community with others. The first one was to explain, which meant a respondent had shared information about a story because someone had specifically asked for an explanation.
“To help clear things up, sometimes it doesn't make sense why Hank or John might be doing something; someone in the comments will ask a question. Occasionally I answer it.”
To involve others
The next most frequent reason for sharing stories was to involve others, which meant participants had shared a story in order to invite more people to join the community. The following response illustrates this idea, and it is also a reflection of the idea that a community can fulfill social needs.
“I tutored a girl three years younger then me at my old school. She was being bullied badly, and felt left out. Her other peers weren't interested in being “smart” and cared more about being popular. She felt a lot like an outcast, like she just didn't belong. I've felt that way before and I know how terrible it feels. I thought introducing her to Nerdfighteria would introduce her to a community where she could be herself and feel like she belonged, and was important.”
Good content
The third most frequent reason for sharing stories was because they were motivational or inspirational, educational, or funny.
Personal value
The fourth reason most frequent reason for sharing was personal value. Participants explained that they share because “it’s important” to them, and so they share them because they are personally significant or because they feel proud to be part of the community.
“I think there’s something pretty special about being part of this community. Being able to call myself a Nerdfighter, even to someone who doesn’t really understand what that means, makes me feel like I’m part of something important. A community like this helps change the world, I think, even in some ways, by not ever forgetting to be awesome!”
They make an impact
Another popular reason for sharing stories was the idea that they are worth telling because they are about making some kind of impact in the world.
“I've told my parents and even others at my work about the way the community comes together to help others, usually to demonstrate how online and fandom communities come together for the greater good.”
An emotional connection
An emotional connection was another reason for sharing stories, as participants also reported that they share stories “to feel connected to the community” and “to create bonds with others.”
This series of posts explores the answers to the open-ended questions from the online survey of this research. Through content analysis, I extracted the most recurrent, frequent and extensive themes and topics participants discussed in their responses. The results are summarized in these posts.
See analysis by theme:
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