Cape May Live turns five years old

 

Cape May Live turns five

The Facebook group Cape May Live was created on March 19th, 2020, just over five years ago. It was conceived to unite and inform people as the COVID-19 Pandemic raged. The group started with a minimum number of people genuinely interested in the vibrant Cape May lifestyle. Since then, it has grown to nearly 100,000 members. That number does not include the people who pop into the public group to peruse or make comments.

“We didn’t set out to be the largest Facebook group in the Cape May area,” North Cape May resident Ginny Murray said.” Ginny is the co-founder and administrator of the public group. “But here we are.” Cape May Live is one of at least two dozen Facebook groups throughout the Cape May County area. Some groups are public, while others are private, restricting who can find, see, and participate in a group. According to Facebook’s parent company, META, once a public group goes private, there is no turning back to the public exposure side of META’a platform.

Created 12 years ago, the Facebook Group Cool Cape May has over 50,000 members and averages a couple hundred daily posts. Like most groups, Cool Cape May administrator April Willburn from West Cape May has a few rules. “Respect other members in your posts and comments. Disagreements and friendly debates will happen, but please be respectful to everyone involved.” According to a page post.

“Social media” refers to platforms that allow people to interact or form communities online. Common social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and X, formerly Twitter. We live in the age of mass media. Research on media use estimates that Americans spend between 10 and 12 hours a day using some form of media. Research has established a link between social media use and happiness. The more you use social media, the more unhappy you become—or do you?

Meteoric growth

The Cape May Live Group was created to keep people informed with accurate information about what was happening in Cape May during the pandemic. Musicians were invited to link their virtual performances. Performers could broadcast via Facebook from their homes, workshops, and garages, eliminating the need for public gatherings. From the outset, the group set out to be lightly moderated and allow people freedom of expression within limits.

Topics on Facebook groups can range from tourism issues to local events and activities. Nearly all social media platforms require users to create a personal profile. Over time, the personal information shared in the online community is evaluated, liked, or not liked. There are many “likes” for awesome vacation photos but fewer “likes” for posts about a stressful work day. The role of the Administrator in a group is to ensure posts remain within the guidelines or rules outlined in the group.

“The bottom line is—just like on every social media—most are okay with what they agree with. Most will not be OK with the opposing view.” Ginny Murray said. Referring to a recent event inspired, in part, by politics. On social media, politics can be divisive. “Plenty of pages and groups are dedicated to one’s political persuasion. Thus, community groups like Cape May Live and Cool Cape May, among others, have a strict no-politics rule,” Ginny said.

Over 2 million views in one day

According to data from analytics pages of Facebook’s insight pages, Cape May Live’s group had over 9 million views in thirty days ending this week. More than 24,000 people made comments or posted. This kind of activity catches the parent company’s attention, META, and invites the administrators to participate in a Facebook Power Admins Global group.

One could point to recent events, such as the towing of the S.S. United States on its final voyage to Alabama or the Woman’s Day march along the promenade, as inspiration for the traffic the group experienced.

Social media certainly sets out to connect us. Whether a user lives in the Victorian Towers or overseas in a foreign country, communities like Cape May Live shrink the world in a few keystrokes. It’s impossible to know how posts affect the original poster. Some post to share legitimate information, while others may seek to satisfy a need for endorphins provided by the number of likes and positive comments their submission generates.

The original post of Cape May Live still holds true, “Welcoming the cool, cooler, the salty, the homeowners and the visitors to a group called Cape May Live. Post your concerts virtual and otherwise. Post your business updates and advertising. Post about your events. Post news. But not drama.”