How the Internet Has Affected Communication Behavior Essay

How the Internet Has Affected Communication Behavior - Essay Example From the essay it is clear that prior to the Internet were video games, which over time became more and more sophisticated. The social impact of video games spawned a plethora of studies on human behavior and interaction, especially regarding young people and families. As the Internet began to take hold, people began to be able to communicate and play games over long distances, in real time. It was felt that this activity interrupted family and social life. This study proposes to further examine how the internet is changing the way people communicate with each other on an everyday basis, both for better and for worse. Internet use decreases social interaction. According to a recent study by Stanford University, frequent Internet users report a drop of 15% in traditional social activities, and as much as a 25% drop in use of the phone for talking to friends. While this may be startling at first, history reflects that increased use of the telephone also decreased personal visiting and social activities. There are many variables affecting increases in social Internet use, such as savings in long distance telephone calls and less time spent in the car. This could be interpreted as social isolation if one is simply looking at the numbers and not the reasons behind the numbers. A discouraging report indicated that only 22% of Internet users of two or more years had ever made a new friend online. While this study downplayed the potential value of online friendships, it also encouraged more rigorous study in the area of balance between online communication and person-to-person communication.... 5), frequent Internet users report a drop of 15% in traditional social activities, and as much as a 25% drop in use of the phone for talking to friends. While this may be startling at first, history reflects that increased use of the telephone also decreased personal visiting and social activities. There are many variables affecting increases in social Internet use, such as savings in long distance telephone calls and less time spent in the car. This could be interpreted as social isolation if one is simply looking at the numbers and not the reasons behind the numbers. A discouraging report (Scott Sleek, 1998) indicated that only 22% of Internet users of two or more years had ever made a new friend online. While this study downplayed the potential value of online friendships, it also encouraged more rigorous study in the area of balance between online communication and person-to-person communication. A more recent study (David E. Rohall, et.al, 2002) looked for links between Internet usage and self esteem issues in the realm of person-to-person contact. Again, further research was encouraged, yet the outcome of the study was much more positive. This could lead us to believe that as use of the Internet is integrated into everyday life, a balance could create itself simply through adaptation and users' natural inclinations. These examples provide a clue as to the concerns of our society in terms of interrelationships; it is indicated that in the dawning days of the internet there was trepidation regarding how internet communication would affect person to person communication, yet research has shown that much of the communication taking place by email and chat rooms on the part of college students and others took place within the context of an already existing social