Reasons social groups are formed is because communication is an important part of human interaction and the formation of social groups aid, organized and maintained communication. Individuals may have both positive and negative stories to tell about being a member of a social media groups, but why and how they are formed is an essential aspect to be considered.
Humans suffer from information overload; there’s much more information on any given subject than a person is able to access. As a result, people are forced to depend upon each other for knowledge. Know-who information rather than know-what, know-how or know-why information has become most crucial. It involves knowing who has the needed information and being able to reach that person
Therefore, the reasons social groups are formed is that social groups offers members the opportunity to establish and join groups of similar people and interests. Sometimes, people join a group because they want to and not necessarily because they have an objective to attain. Here we gave seven reasons why social groups are formed including the types and benefit of forming a social groups. To form a social groups, there are different types of social groups, they includes:
- Primary Group
The primary group consists of members who engaged in an intimate relationship. In this sense, intimacy centers on the use of several interpersonal communicative behaviors such as self- disclosure, empathy, trust, and perceived understanding.
In a primary group, membership is based on sentiment. Two examples of a primary group are your family and your close circle of friends.
- Social Group
The social group comprises members who share a common interest or engage in a common activity that binds them.
Examples of a social group include membership in a fraternity, a sports team, education, entertainment or an honor society. Although an intimate relationship can develop among members in a social group, the common interest or activity binds them.
- Self-help Group
The self-help group comprises individuals who share a common problem or life situation. Examples of self-help groups include Internet providing help for education, health, personal, or relationship issues.
- Learning Group
The purpose behind membership in a learning group is to enhance members’ skills, abilities, or cognitive processes. By belonging to a learning group, members hope to gain additional knowledge or improve a behavior.
Examples of learning groups include enrolling in a yoga class. Similar to membership in a self-help group, it helps members acquired the needed skills, abilities, or cognitive processes.
- Service Group
The service group composed largely of volunteers who donate their time, energy, and effort to help others in need of a particular service or who lack something that would help them lead a functional life.
Although volunteers may belong to a service group for any number of reasons, a service group’s task is to help someone less fortunate. An example of a service group is Lion Club, International Red Cross Society etc
- Public Group
The public group comprises of group members who interact for the benefit of an audience. In most cases, little interaction occurs between the public group and the audience.
One example of a public group is a symposium, in which each group member presents a speech on one aspect of a topic, whose theme unifies the group members in that each member is responsible for a subtopic.
- Activity Groups.
Activity Groups are ones we form for the purpose of participating in activities. Many students in campus belong to many groups that are formed for the sole purpose of doing activities
- Personal Growth Groups.
These groups come together to develop personal insights, overcome personal problems, and grow as individuals from the feedback and support of others. There are many personal growth groups available for helping people develop through group interaction with others.
- Problem-Solving Groups.
These groups are created for the express purpose of solving a specific problem. The very nature of organizing people into this type of group is to get them to collectively figure out effective solutions to the problem they have before them.
Benefit of Social Groups.
There are several benefits that social groups formation enhances. Some of the benefit is as follows:
- It brings about close interaction between people: Having close contact and interaction with other people online can influence them in coming
- It brings lead to Interpersonal attraction: Personality likeness online can lead to physical attractiveness that may lead to people coming
- Discovering of Similarity of attitude: Discovering similar attitude can influence people coming
- Similarity of personality: Discovering similar personality online can influence people coming together
- Similarity of economic needs: Having similar economic needs online can lead to people coming together
- Connectivity and opportunity can be generated from social media groups.
7 Reasons Social Groups are Formed.
Here are some reasons why Social groups are formed anywhere in the world:
1. Similar Interest or Attractions
Social groups are formed because people want to share similar interests or attractions with other group members. In health care, groups that share similar interests or attractions are being formed.
For example, groups that campaign against Sickle Cell Anemia and other health related issues are formed to share similar interests or attractions.
Education groups are form mainly for studies and learning, relationship group for relationship advice and counseling. These groups may share similar interest and attraction when it comes to touching and affecting people’s life.
2. Drive Reduction
People join social groups so that their work with others may help them to fulfill their needs.
People have driven for physiological needs, security, love, self-esteem, and self- actualization. Working with others may help in achieving these needs thereby reducing their obligation to meet these needs themselves.
3. Reinforcement
Social Groups are formed for reinforcement. We are often motivated to do things for the rewards they bring.
Participating in social groups provides reinforcement from others in the pursuit of goals and rewards. For example, a social media group can be form to mobilize people towards the same goal irrespective of the type of group.
4. To solve personal problems
Sometimes we create Social group to solve people problems and solving our own personal problems.
For example, if we create a Career group on whatsApp or Facebook, in the process of mobilizing people we maybe solving our personal problem and at most building a brand.
5. To attain goals
Businesses and company forms social platform to attain their goals. Some maybe directed on creating awareness while some may just for the purpose of improving sales and generating more costumers.
6. Education and Entertainment
Some social groups are created for education and learning purposes. An institution, students, tutors, creates social groups to pass information and disseminates knowledge and learning services within the digital scales.
7. Economic empowerment
Social groups such as career group, entrepreneur and government public group are form for social mobilization or attainment of individual development.
