Online Communication: For Good or Evil

Abstract

The rapidly growing numbers of people using the Internet has turned attention increasingly away from the mechanics of Internet access and towards the impact of the Internet on society, with questions relating to how it affects individuals’ mental and physical well-being and how it may be changing communities. This concern has been made more acute by the spread of Internet usage away from purely home access and towards access in public spaces, such as public libraries, Internet cafes and supermarkets. In the UK, the UKOnline Centres initiative aims to provide access to ICTs in local, community-based sites such as community centres, village halls and libraries across the country. Some research suggests that, while expanding individuals’ ability to communicate far and wide, the Internet can cause a decline in their communication with family members and the size of their social circle, with a tendency to increase their depression and loneliness. However, other research suggests the contrary, with the Internet becoming part of people’s lives and the negative effects disappearing as their Internet use becomes more sophisticated. The proliferation of mobile telephones and the readiness of users to talk endlessly and without inhibitions suggest that the Internet may not have the dramatic impact on socialisation that some have feared.