Internet, family and social relations.

Abstract

The advancement of new-age information and communication technologies has triggered many studies of their impacts on interpersonal relationships, sociability and social capital, the extent of community involvement and participation, and work-related issues.

While the findings of the majority of these studies agree on the types of activities that are carried out on the Internet, such as attainment of knowledge, communication, entertainment and transactions, they differ in findings on the effects of Internet use.

This study makes use of data collected in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006 by the Singapore Internet Project (SIP), which is one of the members of a consortium of research teams involved in the World Internet Project (WIP). Multiple regression analyses were performed to see the effects of Internet use on time spent socializing face-to-face with family members, and on family satisfaction, while controlling for socio-economic variables.

The findings show that home Internet use did not affect adopters’ social interaction with their family members. Time spent on the Internet did not have significant effects on the time spent socializing face-to-face with family members. The study also shows that home Internet use did not affect relationships with family members. Time spent on the Internet did not have significant effects on the degree of satisfaction that users felt with family members.