Physical Space and Cyberspace: How Do They Interrelate? A Study of Offline and Online Social Interaction Choice in Singapore

Abstract

This paper investigates if the new space created by cyberspace affects how we use old space—physical space—and how the range of physical space we have access to affects our urge to extend into cyberspace. To do this I polled young IT savvy people in land-scarce Singapore about the amount of physical space they had at their disposal—private space in terms of the size of their house and bedroom space, and public space in terms of how many public meeting areas they frequented. I attempted to see if there was a correlation between the amount of physical space they enjoyed and the amount of time they spent in cyberspace.