Online Communities: Best 25 to Join for Students and Young Professionals

Did you know that 76 percent of internet users participate in an online community? Online communities are great places to connect, find information, answer questions, share knowledge, and network. 

As a young adult, finding the best online communities can help you grow and discover new things. However, sometimes it can feel overwhelming trying to choose what groups you want to give your time and attention to. 

If you’re looking for a community and want to skip the frustration of choosing communities that aren’t right for you, keep reading and learn about our favorites. 

1. Goodwall

Of course we’re a bit biased, but we’re not going to forget to mention our community. Goodwall is one of the best online communities for students, entrepreneurs, and young professionals.

If you’re a young adult or teenager looking for a social media platform where you can connect with like-minded people, obtain life-changing opportunities, and fast-track your potential, look no further!

The articles on this blog are just the beginning of how we help young people grow personally and professionally. Our supportive community offers the perfect place to make friends, find support, help others, get inspired, share ideas, and highlight your achievements. 

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up to Goodwall today!

2. Vingle

Sometimes you just need someone to talk to that shares your interests. Vingle was created with this in mind. 

On this platform, you can choose your likes and interests. It then connects you with like-minded people. 

This allows you to build a social network of people online who you can discuss shared interests with. 

3. Patook

Have you ever wished you could find a dating app but for only for making friends online? Meeting people can be difficult, and if you’ve just moved or just need a new friend, that’s available. 

Patook works like a dating app. It matches people based on an algorithm. However, it matches you for a platonic friendship instead of matching you for a date. 

4. Goodreads

If you’re a reader, Goodreads is a great community to be a part of. The goal of Goodreads is to let you find and share books that you love. 

You can see what your friends are reading and track what you want to read, have read, or are reading. In addition, the platform has a recommendation engine that analyzes 20 billion data points and gives you personalized book recommendations. 

If you see a book that you’re unsure about, you can find out if it’s a good fit based on community reviews. Expand your literary world by joining this platform. 

Related Read: List of 100+ Best Icebreaker Questions & Conversation Starters

5. DeviantArt

DeviantArt is an online art gallery and community. DeviantArt is an excellent platform if you just want to explore art; however, it’s also a fantastic online platform for artists and related professionals. 

DeviantArt gives you a safe space to share your designs, get community engagement, and meet peers online who share common interests. There are tens of thousands of designs uploaded to the site on a daily basis.

DeviantArt seeks to build an inclusive and supportive community for its members, and they also provide resources, tools, and exposure to help you grow and learn as an artist.

6. Care2

Care2 brings up the issues happening in today’s world and seeks to make a difference. Here you can find petitions to sign and create petitions, making it a great online community to effect change.

You need to be here if you want your voice to be heard on green living, animal rights, children’s rights, social activism, and more. Care2 gives you the opportunity to support the causes you’re passionate about and be the change you want to see in the world. 

7. Student2Student

Student2Student is an online textbook trading community. College textbooks can be pretty expensive, so this is an important group to take advantage of if you want to save money in university.

You can buy other students’ textbooks or sell your own from the comfort of your campus dorm room. And, you don’t even have to worry about shipping or credit cards!

The platform is free to use, and, if you can’t find the book you need on your campus, the site will help you find the lowest prices at nearby bookstores. 

Related Read: 15+ Best Internship Websites for Finding Programs Near You (or Abroad!)

8. Support Groups Central

Do you find yourself struggling with your career, family life, college classes, or something else? Life can certainly be stressful and overwhelming. We’re not meant to walk through life alone, but sometimes it can be challenging to find the support we need. 

Maybe no one in your current circle of support can really connect with what you’re going through, or perhaps you want to join a support group but there are none in your area. Support Group Central considered this and created an online platform where people can find support. 

You can join many of the sub support communities and groups for free or with a small suggested donation. You’ll find support groups here for everything from addiction to parenting to mental health care. If you need a little more support in your life, this is where you want to be. 

9. The Dinner Party

Losing a parent or other loved one is difficult at any age. It’s hard to know what to do with those feelings or learn how to cope with them. 

The Dinner Party was created with this in mind. The group hosts members that range from their twenties to their forties. Before the pandemic, groups were created to meet in a host’s home at a dinner party and provide support to people struggling with the loss of a loved one.

However, since Covid, these groups are all virtual. You can hop in a call and get the support you need for the loss of a parent, partner, sibling, child, or other close friend or family member. 

Related Read: Top 18 Best Scholarship Websites Perfect for College Students and High School Seniors

10. Alcoholics Anonymous

More than 90 percent of people with an addiction began to use drugs or drink before the age of 18. In addition, people from 18 to 25 are more likely to use addictive substances. 

If you’re struggling with addiction, you need support. This is not a battle you can win alone. Virtual AA meetings can help you find the support you need. 

On the other side, maybe you don’t have an addiction. However, perhaps you have a family member or someone you love who struggles with addiction. Alcoholics Anonymous was created to support people impacted by addiction. 

You can also find virtual meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous. 

11. Meetup

Meetup lets you meet up with people who share similar interests to you, and you can use this platform to connect online or in person.

It’s important to keep safety in mind when using these types of groups. Make sure that if your meetup goes beyond digital, you meet in a public place, and remember there’s safety in numbers; bring a friend if you feel uncertain about your safety.  

You will find everything from meetups that can help you boost your career to hobby groups for niche pastimes to support groups. You can even find online or in-person board game meetups. 

12. LinkedIn

As you begin your career, networking is essential. While what you know and the skills you possess are important, sometimes it comes down to who you know. 

LinkedIn provides a digital platform where you can network, but it also goes beyond that. You can find informative and helpful posts, build your brand, research companies, join support groups, and more. 

In the early days, this platform did not provide as many opportunities. However, it has become a powerful tool that can help you grow in your career and can help the companies you’re interested in finding you. 

Related Read: The 5+ Best Career Advice Websites for Employment Tips & Interview Help

13. Strange Planet 

Strange Planet is a comic series created by Nathan Pyle. His main characters are aliens who are discovering the world, and while doing so, they have their own commentary. 

You will recognize many real-life situations woven into his comics and enjoy some laughs to brighten your day. 

14. Diet.com

It’s not a secret that life is busy. With all the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to forget about taking care of yourself. 

This often leads to fad diets and exercise plans. As a young adult, it’s easy to load up on unhealthy foods, especially if you’re living on a college campus. 

If you’re looking for a community that can spur you towards not just a diet but a lifestyle change, you might want to check out Diet.com. They provide customized meal plans, healthy recipes, and exercise plans. 

You can customize your plan to your needs and start learning that the best way to get healthy is through a healthy lifestyle. They do provide a premium option that comes at a low monthly cost. 

15. Fitocracy

Fitocracy is another health community online. Here you can find fitness assessments, personalized nutrition plans, workouts, and motivation and accountability. 

There are two ways to engage with Fitocracy, and there is a free plan available. 

With this, you will get:

• Free workouts for any experience and goal level
• Interactive charts to view progress on your exercise program
• Points for every workout logged
• Badges for unlocking special achievements
• Support and motivation from a positive online fitness community 
• Access to the Knowledge Center for daily articles and tips

If you’re looking for more in-depth support on your path to fitness, you can choose the coaching plan. These plans start at around one dollar per day. 

With the coaching plan, you get all the free benefits. However, you also get: 

• A coach you select to help you meet your goals
• Customized nutrition plan built for you 
• Daily accountability
• Personalized guidance from your coach
• Help from your coach anytime you need it
• Workouts made specifically for you

Related Read: 7 Best Online Safety Tools and Privacy Settings to Keep Yourself Protected

16. Sofa Singers

Singing provides many benefits that people of all ages can enjoy. It gives you an outlet for your emotions and can help you feel happy. It also enhances lung function, helps with pain relief, boosts confidence, and more. 

If you love singing and you’re ready to sing somewhere other than your shower, Sofa Singers is one of the best private communities online for you. This group meets virtually, and you get the opportunity to sing with people from all over the world. 

The groups are led by experienced choir directors, and you can have fun learning new songs every week. They also offer open mic nights where you can share songs, poems, and other creative work. 

17. Rate My Professors

You don’t always get to choose your professors when signing up for college courses. Especially, if there’s only one professor who teaches the course you need. 

However, if your decision for what section of a course to sign up for comes down to choosing which professor, you need knowledge. Rate My Professors allows you to rate and leave comments about professors. 

This is a great way to find out what other students are saying. However, keep in mind that there are bound to be a few trolls leaving negative comments because they got a bad grade. 

Make sure that you take the time to review the comments and recognize what’s valid. Keep in mind that if you’re a different type of student, you could have a different experience with that professor. 

18. The Awkward Yeti

The Awkward Yeti is an account you can follow on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. This is another comic, and the creator is Nick Seluk. His most popular series is known as the Heart and Brain. 

It’s a New York Times Bestselling series, and it’s no surprise if you get the chance to read it. This comic interlaces real life with humor and looks at the constant battle between the heart and brain. 

While the brain is more rational, the heart will be the heart. Seluk does an amazing job of depicting the battle between rationality and the heart’s desires. 

This is an excellent account to follow because not only will it give you a smile, but it may give you some insight into your life. 

Related Read: 15 Crucial Online Safety Tips for Students and Young Professionals

19. The Student Room

Are you looking for a place to get advice about college and talk about other college-related topics? The Student Room gives you that forum. Here you can chat with other college students about a variety of topics, and they have an app as well. 

You’ll find forums on the following topics: 

• Careers and jobs
• Relationships
• Health
• Student finance
• News 
• Health

20. Discord

Discord is a meta community of many online communities, created in 2015 as a community for gamers. Here you can create your own “server” with various chat rooms. The app has expanded to include screen shares, video chat, voice chat, bots, and more. 

If you’re a gamer, you’re sure to find a shared interest community. However, Discord isn’t just for gamers anymore. You can find servers dedicated to various subjects, including marketing, student hubs, music, education, study groups, and more. 

21. Reddit

Reddit has risen in popularity over recent years, and it’s a great discussion forum that’s easy to spend hours exploring. 

Reddit opens a world of opportunities to connect with others online. You can find a Reddit for any topic, and while some might just be for pure entertainment, others can help you learn and grow or spark creativity. 

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22. Coggle

Coggle is an internet community that gives you the tools and resources you need to create flowcharts and mind maps. You can share them with friends and classmates and collaborate in real-time. 

They have a free version that offers many capabilities but keep in mind the number of private diagrams you can create is limited with this. However, if you don’t mind your diagrams being public, this is a great choice.

If you need to keep your diagrams private, you’ll want to look into the monthly memberships that start at five dollars a month. This community platform is excellent for helping you take notes, brainstorm, and share information. 

23. Your College Website

Your school’s website is certainly one of the best online communities for students, whether you’re currently attending or are an alumnus. Many colleges have their own branded community that allow students to connect and collaborate. 

They also provide resources to help you learn and grow, and network. If you haven’t spent time exploring your school’s website, it’s essential you start now. 

24. Critique Circle

Are you an aspiring author? Sometimes it can be difficult to critique your own work, and at other times you’re your own worst critic. 

If you’re looking for a community of writers to help you hone your skills, check out Critique Circle. They offer an online community that can critique your work and other valuable tools to help you grow as a writer. 

Related Read: The Online Portfolio: Why You Need One & How to Build a Portfolio Site

25. Online Writing Centers

Many colleges provide writing centers to help their students who struggle with writing or who simply want to improve. This is a valuable resource, especially given how tedious writing at the college level can be!

However, if you’re attending school online, it can be more challenging to access this. That’s why it’s important to check and see if your college provides an online writing center. 

You can still get the same benefits you would on campus and turn in papers that impress your professors. 

26. Facebook

Facebook is dead, right? There’s no denying that Facebook has seen a decline in use, but the social network is not quite over yet. While Facebook might not be the most commonly used social media app, there’s still a very robust online community there. 

Facebook actually started out as a social community and online platform for college students. You had to have a college email address to even sign up for the platform. 

It was originally created as a way for Harvard students to connect with each other. Since then, Facebook has evolved into one of the most popular social media platforms.

With Facebook, you can find groups that discuss everything from college to your senior years. It’s a great place to connect and find ideas, and there are plenty of public and private groups where you can engage with people who have similar interests.

27. TikTok

TikTok is great if you want to watch people be silly, dance, sing, or just view a piece of someone else’s world. However, this video-sharing platform has become more than a glimpse into the lives of others. 

You can find life hacks and tips and tricks about every topic under the sun here. Are you a new college student? Find meals that got others through college on TikTok, as well as advice on getting through your classes and how to succeed in university.

Are you looking for tips for marketing? Or content creation? You can find tips and hacks for that too. 

Related Read: How to Improve Internet Speed: 9 Quick and Easy Tips and Tricks

28. Mutual Aid Networks

The world is changing, and it can be difficult. One of the best ways you can do your part in a changing world is by giving back. 

Volunteering has many benefits, and you can build a whole new community through volunteer work. If you’re looking for a flexible way to give back to your community, some of the best online groups you can join are mutual aid networks. 

On these networks, you can make a few phone calls, deliver groceries to the elderly, volunteer at a food bank, or find other volunteer opportunities that you’re interested in. 

29. The Happy Broadcast

The world is filled with negativity, and it can often feel very draining. The Happy Broadcast is an Instagram account that looked at the news and magazines and saw all that negativity and the anxiety it was causing. 

The creator Mauro Gatti started searching the news and looking for the good. For example, a recent post celebrated the fact that Canada has removed the ban on gay men donating blood. 

Another post shares that cow hugging is a new trend that helps boost your mental health. With so much negativity in the world, this is an excellent account to follow for people who need to find the good in the world. 

30. Conspiracy of Poets

Do you love expressing yourself through the written word? If you’re a poet, and you know it (or even if you didn’t know it), this community is for you. 

You can find the Conspiracy of Poets group on Facebook. This group was created to allow people to share poetry they love and write their own. 

Also, if you’re ever suffering from a case of writer’s block, there are prompts posted for inspiration in the group that you can use. 

Related Read: 55+ Best Online Jobs for College Students (Flexible Hours, Pays Well!)

Join the Best Online Communities

All online communities have their upsides and downsides. However, as a young adult, the opportunities the best online communities give you to grow, learn, and network are invaluable. 

If you’re looking for great online communities to join, sign up to Goodwall!

We’re the next-generation platform for students, young professionals, and entrepreneurs to connect to opportunities that fast-track your future. Interact online with one of our hundreds of topical discussion forums, or create your own online spaces to connect with other users and build your professional network.

If you have any other successful online communities and social media platforms to add to our list, let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading our article, and hope to see you on our app!