As the internet has developed over the years, new communities have emerged across social media platforms. This includes towns coming together to create a presence on platforms like Facebook. The main purpose of these Facebook groups is to form connections within the community. All over the world, there are Facebook groups organized for all cities/towns, including Dinuba.

On Facebook, Dinuba’s hub is known as “What’s Up Dinuba?/¿Qué Pasa, Dinuba?” The question is whether this Facebook group is actually fostering a positive impact or instead spreading negativity within the community.

There are many different Facebook groups made for the Dinuba community. Many groups have different purposes for their creation. The categories that these groups fall into are selling/buying, community events, local news, and gossip. Although there’s a range of Dinuba groups to look at, the largest is “What’s Up Dinuba?” with a whopping 59,000 members. This group was created on September 12, 2019. The members range from students and young adults to older folks from all over Dinuba. Group engagement is high, with new posts made throughout the day. 

“What’s Up Dinuba?” impacts the community more than one might think. The Facebook group is an outlet for small and local businesses to promote their image and attract more customers. The group is also used to spread awareness within the community. Many report accidents and emergencies to alert citizens. It is safe to say that this group gives citizens a platform to use their voices and be heard.  

Although community forums can bring locals together, over the years, social media has been a source of a lot of negative commentary. Posts have become increasingly argumentative, and discussions often turn into rants by fellow members. More arguments can be found in the comments section. Locals say negative things to one another for simply disagreeing with each other’s views. Negative discourse like this does not get the community anywhere. Furthermore, the option to post anonymously creates a door for people to say whatever they think. This can lead to derogatory posts about others. This is borderline cyberbullying with no consequences being imposed.    

The group has continuously shared negative posts regarding irrelevant topics within the community. This encourages other members to be more reckless and less mindful about what they post. A fellow Dinuba student (who asked to remain anonymous) recounts the time when she was posted on the Facebook group while strolling through the neighborhood alongside her boyfriend. The post went with a caption that read, “Who’s kids are these?!?” Posting her image without consent as a minor on a public Facebook group. This riled up the student because she did not expect to see her own image while scrolling through the group. The student was later approached by a man who recognized her from the post. It is important to understand the dangers of posting pictures of minors on the internet, especially in instances like this.

Another example of negativity occurred earlier in the year when a Facebook parent posted on the site about their child not getting enough playing time in the Dinuba High School football team. The parent expressed their frustration by stating that the coach would favor certain players. The post received significant backlash from other Facebook members, who claimed that the football player was simply not good enough to play. This was followed by many more threads that led to a heated discourse.

Although the group was created to invite people into a safe space, it is evident that it has become a tool for many to take advantage of the platform. The toxic environment created prevents unity among Dinubians. It is important to realize how much power and change this group can achieve if it were used for its true purpose. This begs the question: Do Facebook groups like “What’s Up Dinuba?” truly help communities come together, or is it causing more damage than it’s worth?