Digital Belonging in Online Communities: The Role of Social Interaction and Emotional Connection in Shaping Trust, Identity, and Sense of Community

Abstract

The paper discusses the concept of digital belonging within online communities and the psychological processes (trust and identity) that affect the sense of belonging among individuals in online groups. Although the problem of disconnected social relationships remains the same in the digital realm, the current study is concerned with the social and emotional aspects that underlie the difference in the sense of belonging of users. The paper uses the perspectives of social interaction to develop and test a framework that integrates positive relational factors (e.g., social interaction) with emotional drivers (e.g., emotional connection) to examine their impact on trust, identity formation and a sense of community. The survey with 324 active users of social media in Jordan was used to collect data, as the participants regularly use the Internet and online communities to deliver the required information and services. With the help of PLS-SEM, the results show that social interaction has a great and positive impact on the formation of trust, but emotional connection is of great importance in influencing identity formation in the online environment. Trust has a high predictive power on how people feel about their community, and identity also has a positive predictive value on the sense of community. Moreover, the relationship between social interaction and sense of community is partially mediated by trust, whereas identity mediates the connection between emotional connection and belongingness. The findings underscore trust and identity as crucial psychological processes by which digital interactions promote meaningful social connections. The current research offers practical lessons to digital platforms and community managers who aim at increasing the level of user engagement, enhancing the level of social bonding and ensuring the creation of inclusive online communities.