Digital Connections, Social Cohesion and Trust—Comparative Evidence From Rural and Urban Communities in Germany

This study investigates the role of digital information and communication technologies (DICT) in the context of social cohesion and trust (SCT) at the community level. The analysis is grounded in the assumption that SCT underpins both social capital and the capacity for collective action in communities. Employing a comparative design, survey data were collected from residents of four villages (n = 706) and four urban districts (n = 1031) in Germany. Results suggest a distinction between networking capacity and relational integration. DICT use is associated with increased neighbourhood networking, consistent with the notion that it facilitates contact among community members. However, it shows no robust association with perceived SCT. Instead, SCT appears to be shaped more strongly by face-to-face interaction and, partly, by community identity. These findings indicate that digital communication, especially in rural contexts, primarily contributes functionally (e.g., organizing, coordinating) in the form of thin interaction rather than transformative (e.g., altering generalized perceptions of cohesion and trust). These results are discussed within contemporary debates on the limits of digital mediation for fostering SCT.