Nextdoor Will Pay You $100 To Meet Your Neighbors

Two men elbow bumping on a city sidewalk
Jon Tyson | Unsplash

Loneliness, anxiety, and depression are common concerns for many Americans, and even more so amid the coronavirus pandemic. We have prevention measures in place to curb the spread of the virus but are struggling to help people manage their mental health. Nextdoor, a local community social network has a challenge that can help.

Since its founding in 2011, Nextdoor has worked to bring neighborhoods closer. The platform connects residents, business owners, and other local stakeholders to create a more cohesive community. Nextdoor’s mantra is that connections with your neighbors can reduce social anxiety and loneliness while boosting community unity. However, the pandemic has made getting to know our neighbors harder than ever and has led to increased rates of loneliness and anxiety. Nextdoor believes those are at least somewhat linked, and wants to help combat these negative feelings.

The Nextdoor Kind Challenge

Nextdoor is calling on Americans to take up the Kind Challenge, where participants will engage in one or more friendly, neighborly activities across a one month period. “Kind” activities include:

  • Saying hi to your neighbors regularly
  • Offering to help a neighbor with something
  • Participating in a community/group event

None of the challenges feature anything crazy, just simple community-building actions. Challenge participants will then take surveys on their experience, and those who complete the surveys on time will be eligible to win $100 for taking part!

The company’s goal is to better understand how getting to know your neighbors can help reduce anxiety, stress, etc. Studies have shown that knowing your neighbors can lead to better overall health, and Nextdoor says that even connecting with just six neighbors can make a world of difference.

“Nextdoor is committed to cultivating a kinder world where everyone has a neighborhood to rely on,” according to the challenge FAQ. “As new research emerges showing that COVID-19 can have a significant negative impact on mental health, Nextdoor has teamed up with top scientific researchers to launch a global study to understand how relationships with your neighbors can help.”

Before you can enter the challenge, however, you need to get on the platform. To sign up for Nextdoor, simply input your phone number, email address, and physical address. You’ll immediately be connected with your neighborhood and see others in your area on Nextdoor. Otherwise, the only requirement for the challenge is that you’re at least 18.

After that, Nextdoor will help you interact with your community and form “kind” connections!