• Jarad Greene

The Vermont-grown social media platform Front Porch Forum helps users feel connected with their community, according to a new study by the nonprofit New_ Public — a revelation in an era when social media is being blamed for anxiety, polarization and misinformation.

New_ Public and the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin collaborated to survey more than 13,000 Front Porch Forum users this summer as part of a larger project to advance the study of “public-friendly digital design.” Compared to the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor, Front Porch Forum stood out.

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“We’ve had a hunch for a long time that smaller, slower, more intentionally designed social media would have better outcomes,” said Josh Kramer, head of editorial at New_ Public. “But this is the first time that we have really good, robust, empirical data showing that’s true.”

The research builds on a 2021 study by New_ Public and the Center for Media Engagement that found most popular social media platforms, such as Facebook and Nextdoor, limit users' ability to connect with their neighbors and foster healthy civic engagement.

By comparison, researchers found that almost two-thirds of users found Front Porch Forum to be valuable for their community. More than 81 percent of respondents felt they become a more informed citizen on Front Porch Forum, compared with only 26 percent of Facebook users and 32 percent of Nextdoor users.

Front Porch Forum users were also significantly more likely to attend a local event, discuss issues with a neighbor or volunteer as a result of posts on the forum. Respondents were also more likely to report feeling safe and free to speak their minds on Front Porch Forum than they do on other platforms.

“Here we have some data showing that because people spent time on a forum, they became more engaged in their community,” Kramer said. “That’s pretty amazing.”

The Washington Post wrote about the study in an August 10 article headlined "The friendliest social network you've never heard of." Jason Van Driesche, chief of staff at Front Porch Forum, said his inbox has been inundated with requests to expand Front Porch Forum’s reach around the country.

He’s not interested. “What the data bore out is that Front Porch Forum is a bit of an outlier, and a significant part of what makes that possible is our smaller scale,” Van Driesche said.

However, the outpouring of interest has led the Burlington-based company to consider how it could assist others trying out similar models.

“What would it take for us to be in a position to more actively support community-minded organizations in other communities who want to do something similar?” Van Driesche asked. “That’s something we’re thinking about now.”