“Anyone in their right mind wouldn’t create it” : online community formation through shitposting

Abstract

This exploratory study provides a structured understanding of shitposting and examines its role, form, and function in online community formation by focussing on Facebook’s largest closed shitposting group, Spongebob Shitposting. Employing a mixed methods approach, this two-part study conducted: (1) interviews with members of the Spongebob Shitposting Facebook group (N = 20) to explore their definition of shitposting and how shitposting creates a sense of community, and (2) a content analysis of randomly selected posts (N = 1000) to examine the form and content of communication in the group. Results revealed that members defined shitposting as posts with unfunny and nonsensical humour that require online cultural literacy to understand. Shitposts tend to have a recognisable form and are created with varying intentions, such as for humour, self-expression, or to offend others. Findings also gave insight to shitposting’s role in forming a community: shared interest for creating and enjoying shitposts encourages member participation, while shared symbols in shitposting foster bonds among members. These results provide a foundation for future research into this niche area of internet culture, along with insight into the formation and maintenance of online communities.