Living with television and the Internet

Abstract

We communicate to survive. The social history of our species can be characterized by how we continuously expand our ability to connect with others. Television and the Internet function as unique resources people creatively use to fulfill their social needs and build communities. But they do so in very different ways. By placing television and the Internet in evolutionary perspective, this commentary compares the form, content, and contexts of how the two technologies are used as culturally embedded social resources. The methodological challenge of generating empirical data to reveal how the Internet is used socially is addressed. Quantitative and qualitative assessments, especially ethnography, play complementary roles in describing how multi-modal Internet users construct the social contacts and relationships that shape their everyday lives in the Communication Age.