More Research Promoting Community Internet
February 28th, 2006A new Pew Center Study adds to the growing canon of research supporting Community Internet as a vital social resource.
From the report: Our evidence calls into question fears that social relationships — and community — are fading away in America. Instead of disappearing, people’s communities are transforming: The traditional human orientation to neighborhood- and village-based groups is moving towards communities that are oriented around geographically dispersed social networks. People communicate and maneuver in these networks rather than being bound up in one solitary community. Yet people’s networks continue to have substantial numbers of relatives and neighbors — the traditional bases of community — as well as friends and workmates. The internet and email play an important role in maintaining these dispersed social networks. Rather than conflicting with people’s community ties, we find that the internet fits seamlessly with in-person and phone encounters. With the help of the internet, people are able to maintain active contact with sizable social networks, even though many of the people in those networks do not live nearby. Moreover, there is media multiplexity: The more that people see each other in person and talk on the phone, the more they use the internet. The connectedness that the internet and other media foster within social networks has real payoffs: People use the internet to seek out others in their networks of contacts when they need help.
The Strength of Internet Ties: Summary of Findings at a Glance The internet helps build social capital.
· The internet plays socially beneficial roles in a world moving towards “networked individualism.”
· Email allows people to get help from their social networks and the web lets them gather information and find support and information as they face important decisions.
· The internet supports social networks.
· Email is more capable than in-person or phone communication of facilitating regular contact with large networks.
· Email is a tool of “glocalization.” It connects distant friends and relatives, yet it also connects those who live nearby.
· Email does not seduce people away from in-person and phone contact.
· People use the internet to put their social networks into motion when they need help with important issues in their lives.
· The internet’s role is important in explaining the greater likelihood of online users getting help as compared to non-users.
· Americans’ use of a range of information technologies smoothes their paths to getting help.
· Those with many significant ties and access to people with a variety of different occupations are more likely to get help from their networks.
· Internet users have somewhat larger social networks than non-users. The median size of an American’s network of core and significant ties is 35. For internet users, the median network size is 37; for non-users it is 30.
· About 60 million Americans say the internet has played an important or crucial role in helping them deal with at least one major life decision in the past two years.
· The number of Americans relying on the internet for major life decisions has increased by one-third since 2002.
· At major moments, some people say the internet helps them connect with other people and experts who help them make choices. Others say that the web helps them get information and compare options as they face decisions.
Source: Jeffrey Boase, John B. Horrigan, Barry Wellman, Barry, and Lee Rainie. The Strength of Internet Ties. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project, January 2006.