How Social is Internet Communication? A Reappraisal of Bandwidth and Anonymity Effects

Internet communication is playing an increasing role in our lives both at work and at home, where it is augmenting or replacing many of the interpersonal and group interactions normally conducted face to face. Approximately 10 per cent of the world's population are estimated to use the internet regularly (McKenna and Bargh 2000). Surveys have often shown that e-mail benefits business by substituting for meetings, and more recently that interpersonal communication is an important home use for the internet. Ninety-four per cent of users report that the internet makes it easier to communicate with family and friends, and 87 per cent use it regularly for that purpose (Kraut et al. 1998). Crook and Light (this volume) found that students with networked computers in their study bedrooms use the internet more for social communication and recreation that for study purposes or for academic exchange.