Social Isolation and New Technology
Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has issued a new report by Keith Hampton, Lauren Sessions, Eun Ja Her, and Lee Rainie.
People who use modern information and communication technologies have larger and more diverse social networks, according to new national survey findings that for the first time explore how people use the internet and mobile phones to interact with key family and friends.
These new finding challenge fears that use of new technologies has contributed to a long-term increase in social isolation in the United States.
The new findings show that, on average, the size of people's discussion networks — those with whom people discuss important matters — is 12% larger amongst mobile phone users, 9% larger for those who share photos online, and 9% bigger for those who use instant messaging. The diversity of people's core networks — their closest and most significant confidants — tends to be 25% larger for mobile phone users, 15% larger for basic internet users, and even larger for frequent internet users, those who use instant messaging, and those who share digital photos online.
"All the evidence points in one direction," said Prof. Keith Hampton, lead author of the report. "People's social worlds are enhanced by new communication technologies. It is a mistake to believe that internet use and mobile phones plunge people into a spiral of isolation."
Here are some paragraphs we're including from the report:
Internet users are 38% less likely to rely exclusively on their spouses/partners as discussion confidants. Those who use instant messaging are even less likely, 36% less likely than other internet users, or 59% less likely than non-internet users to rely exclusively on their spouses/partners for important matters.
Those who use the internet to upload photos to share online are 61% more likely to have discussion partners that cross political lines. Maintaining a blog is associated with a 95% higher likelihood of having a cross-race discussion confidant. Frequent at home internet users are also 53% more likely to have a confidant of a different race.
When we explored the size and diversity of people’s core networks - their strongest social ties that include both those with whom they “discuss important matters” and those they consider “especially significant” in their life - there continued to be a strong, positive relationship between the size and diversity of people’s closest social ties, mobile phone use, and participation in a range of internet activities.
When the internet is used as a medium for neighborhood social contact, such as a neighborhood email list or community forum (e.g., i-neighbors.org), participants tend to have very high levels of local engagement.
60% of those who use an online neighborhood discussion forum know “all or most” of their neighbors, compared to 40% of Americans. 79% who use an online neighborhood discussion forum talk with neighbors in-person at least once a month, compared to 61% of the general population.
43% of those on a neighborhood discussion forum talk to neighbors on the telephone at least once a month, compared to the average of 25%. 70% on a neighborhood discussion forum listened to a neighbor’s problems in the previous six months, and 63% received similar support from neighbors, compared to 49% who gave and 36% who received this support in the general population.
Read the full report on the Pew site.
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