How Does Internet Use Affect Social Life?

I. Introduction The research question for this paper is 'what effect does internet use have on social life? ' In a broad scope, technology is created by humans for the purpose of efficiency. The 21st century especially, has experienced a rise in technology, but more specifically internet usage. The internet serves as a gateway to what seems like infinite information, because anyone with a computer (or other devices with an operating system) and internet is capable of sharing information and media on the World Wide Web. Speaking of, internet connection is easily available to a much larger population today. In addition, several social media platforms have been established such as the most common ones being Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and so on. Not only that, but the significant …show more content…
(2010) acknowledge research that emphasises the negative effect (loneliness) of Internet use. Morahan-Martin and Schumacher draw on HomeNet 's longitudinal case study of 169 individuals over two years by monitoring their activity and respondents ' self reports. The findings revealed that "greater internet use was associated with increased levels of loneliness" (2003:660). That being said, the authors conclude based on their own research findings that making such a claim is too general. Rather, the distinguishing factor is that of the respondents ' normal behaviour behind the screen; or the location of Internet use. In other words, people who are lonely to begin prefer anonymous Internet activities over real interactions, which encourages more time spent online - especially in isolated venues, leading to heightened feelings of loneliness. Whereas, those who are not lonely to begin with use the Internet to communicate with people they know via e-mail for the majority - from more social-oriented venues, thus the loneliness conclusion does not apply to this sub-sample (Morahan-Martin and Schumacher 2003, and Hampton et al.