This document discusses research on the social impacts of internet use. It finds that while the internet increases connectivity, it can also weaken community ties and interpersonal relationships by replacing face-to-face interactions. Additionally, the anonymity of the internet facilitates behaviors like pornography, crime, and the expression of taboo ideas. However, the internet also allows people to connect with others who share interests and identities, and can help those with stigmatized identities feel less isolated. Overall, the internet both positively and negatively impacts social interactions and relationships.

1. http://mrk1000.fsa.ulaval.ca/sio6002/reading
s/Bargh-2004.pdf
Written By : John A. Bargh and Katelyn Y.
A. McKenna.
Prepared by : Zineb Boukili
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2.  Internet is an important tool of interpersonal
communication, that increases connectivity.
 It allows to connect people, despite great distances and to
reach a mass audience.
 But, it is criticized because of the anonymity it offers to its
users, which hides pornography, crime, prostitution,
pedophilia and others vices of the society.
 The impact of internet on our social life: It is an
impoverished and sterile form of social exchange:
Individual impact : Break up home life and causes
loneliness and exclusion of its users.
Relation with others : Weakens the community links.
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3.  Internet has not a face-to-face use: The absence of non
verbal communication (tone of voice, facial
expressions…) and interpersonal features (physical
attractiveness) affects the social interaction.
 Effects on the Workplace :
 E-mail increases aggressive and hostile exchanges between
communication partners and reduces the usual inhibitions that
operate when interacting with one’s superiors.
 E-mail is considered as useful as face-to-face interactions for
getting work done and building school-related relationships
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4.  Effects on Personal (Close) Relationships
 Effects of Internet use on existing relationships:
 Internet’s use leads to negative outcomes for the individual user:
increases in depression and loneliness, and neglect of existing
close relationships.
 Internet allows people to keep in touch with family and friends
and, in many cases, extends their social networks.
 Relationship formation on the Internet:
 On-line relationships are highly similar to those developed in
personally
 People are more able to express their “true” selves.
 Tendencies to idealize partners cause disappointment in reality.
 Anonymity of Internet facilitates relationship formation.
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5.  Wide variety of special interest newsgroups available.
 Virtual groups can be fertile territory for the formation of
friendships and even close relationships because of
interests and values sharing.
 People with stigmatized identities (homosexuality or
fringe political beliefs, ethnic minority) are motivated to
participate in Internet groups devoted to that identity
because of the relative anonymity, safety and social
support they can have through them.
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6.  People trust in Internet for purchasing and
communicating their feelings and dreams.
 Trust turns out even to moderate differences in the rate of
Internet adoption across countries.
 Spam (half of all e-mail traffic) is a real threat to the
social life of Internet, it threatens to undermine that
important sense of trust for many people.
Internet has unique, even transformational qualities as a
communication channel, including relative anonymity
and the ability to ease link with other people who have
similar interests, values, and beliefs.
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7. http://faculty.washington.edu/thurlow/com4
82/tyler%282002%29.pdf
Written By : Tom R. Tyler
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8.  Internet has created a new way of doing old things, rather
than being a technology that changes people way of life.
 Electronic communication may lead to weaker social
ties.
 The impact of Internet is likely to remove the elements of
reactions that is keyed to specific others.
 Anxious people use Internet to deal with specific social
deficits and they incorporate its into complex interaction
sequences .
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9.  People change their use of technology to facilitate their
creation of desired social and psychological reality.
 Difficulty to negotiate : There are many problems when
strangers negotiate with each others electronically ( biases
communication, temporal synchrony) .
 Internet as a social equalizer: People use Internet to
compensate their weaknesses (relative anonymity).
 Internet is a way of hiding from real life, anxious people
use it as a mean of creating close and meaningful
relationships with others.
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10.  Equalization of access to resources and information via
Internet: It gives people in remote areas access to their
community, thus reducing inequalities.
 People can be involved in discussions and can influence
others ( minimize the impact of geography).
 Internet as a facilitator of pathology: Internet provides
access, affordability and anonymity. These factors
contribute to the development of pathological control
problems.
 The expression of taboo perspective: The anonymous and
impersonal elements of Internet communication encourage
people, who have some taboo aspect in their identity , to
live a secret life.
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