Internet Use, Interpersonal Relations, and Sociability: A Time Diary Study
Using exciting new time diary data, we explore the complex ways in which the Internetaffects interpersonal communication and sociability. Rather than dwelling on the increasinglystale debate about whether the Internet is good or bad for sociability, we analyzewhen and where Internet use impacts face-to-face interactions. Internet use at home hasa strong negative impact on time spent with friends and family, while Internet use at workis strongly related to decreased time with colleagues (but has little effect on social timewith friends and family). Similarly, Internet use during the weekends is more stronglyrelated to decreased time spent with friends and family than Internet use during weekdays.Our findings offer support for a "displacement" or "hydraulic" theory of Internetuse - time online is largely an asocial activity that competes with, rather than complements,face-to-face social time - but it is the location and timing of Internet use thatdetermines which interpersonal relationships are affected