A71. Katz, J.E., Rice, R.E. &
Aspden, P. (2001). The Internet, 1995-2000: Access, civic involvement,
and
social interaction. American Behavioral Scientist, 45(3),
404-419. Revised version: Katz, J.E. & Rice, R.E.
(2002).
Syntopia: Access, civic involvement and social interaction via the
Internet.
In B. Wellman & C. Haythornthwaite (Eds.), The Internet in
everyday
life (pp. 114-138.) Oxford: Blackwell.
The Internet promises to transform the nature of
political participation and expression. Some say that the Internet has
or will become enormously beneficial
for democratic processes in particular and for society in general.
Others
argue that the Internet will be either harmful or ruinous. Another
possibility—seldom
considered—is that the Internet will have only minimal impact (Katz
&
Rice, 2002). The stakes riding on the political impact of the Internet
are
enormous. The technology could potentially affect the democratic nature
of
American society, the global human and natural condition, and the
ability
of special interests to capture billions of taxpayer-payer
dollars.
The current study is in the fortunate position of being able to report
analyses
of historically relevant Internet useusage data from the 1996 and 2000
national
elections. This research is part of the Syntopia Project (2002). The
project’s
aim has been to create, through random digit dialing phone surveys, as
well
as case studies, in-depth observations, focus groups, and Web site
analyses,
a multiyear-year program charting social aspects of Americans’ mediated
communication
behavior, on the Internet and the Web, and through mobile
telephones.
This study also analyzes some data from the Pew Internet and American
Life
Project election survey in 2000, which included all cases of completed
surveys
(from adults over the age of 18 years of age) by the Princeton Survey
Research
Associates from October 1, 2000 through to November 26, 2000.
Our findings
have found a decline in some aspects of the digital divide, especially
once awareness has been achieved and when year of adoption is
considered. Contrary to the pessimistic assertions of many, no loss was
discerned in terms of many of our indicators of political or and
community involvement. In fact, our findings support a more positive
interpretation of the Internet’s impact, at least in terms of
interpersonal communication, and associations of Internet use was
associated with greater levels of telephone use (though not of
correspondence by mail) and social interaction (though this was more
widely dispersed). It also led to many face-to-face friendships that
were judged by respondents as a positive experience. Thus, some of the
earliest research on the social consequences of the Internet, confirmed
over a half-decade of additional surveys, finds a decreasing but still
significant digital divide, few in the way of negative effects on civic
involvement and social interaction, and does find some positive
consequences.
Click
here for PDF copy of publication