How Neighbors Are Connecting in the Digital Age
Posted in: I'm Moving, Neighborhood AdviceEven though we’re bloggers, we never claim to be the most tech-savvy gals around. In fact, until we started the blog we didn’t even really know what HTML meant (#rookies). However, we’re trying to be “cooler” when it comes to all of this tech stuff…and for us, that means researching the latest and greatest apps and websites out there. We recently found an awesome new website and we just had to share it right here on the HireAHelper blog.
It’s called Nextdoor and it’s a free private social network for your neighborhood. Essentially it provides an easy way to connect with your neighbors and the people in your community.
We don’t know about you, but we certainly miss the days when everyone knew one another in their neighborhoods. Kids would stay out playing until the sun went down, you could knock on your neighbors door to borrow just about anything, and people would wave to one another and actually know each other’s names! Craziness, right?! Well it seems like they’re trying to bring that back…but in today’s digital world.
I decided to create an account to see if Nextdoor could really “use the power of technology to build stronger and safer neighborhoods.”
Signing up was easy, and we felt like our information was safe and secure. Every neighbor has to give their home address and sign in with their actual names for verification. Plus, you’re really only sharing the kind of information you would likely share in-person with your neighbors. So safety and privacy wise…DIY was pretty impressed.
How could this website help me?
After perusing my neighborhood for a bit (a whopping three hundred and thirty three households in my neighborhood are signed up), we had several thoughts run through our heads about what we could do with this.
- Need a babysitter or dog walker? Ask your neighbors for recommendations or check out message boards for neighbors offering up their services.
- You can report a break-in and even band together to create a neighborhood watch group.
- Instead of going through Craigslist, you can sell unwanted items to people right down the street! In fact, there’s even an entire section called “Free Items.”
- The “Lost & Found” section could come in handy for lost pets or stolen bikes!
Should you Try Nextdoor?
Are we going to instantly be besties with all of our neighbors? Probably not. But Nextdoor is definitely a resource DIY plans to use so we can be more “in the know” when it comes to the communities we both live in. Plus, we’ll definitely look pretty darn techy and cool talking about the website.