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Internet Use and Social Behaviour:A Perspective
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There is a substantial body of literature that deals with patterns of social behavior shaped by Internet use. A large part of the literature takes a pessimistic view arguing that the increasing amount of time spent online by people leads to a reduction of the time spent on other possibly more fulfilling forms of interpersonal engagement, and also to a decline in the quality or richness of those forms of engagement. This article counters the claim that Internet use makes people less sociable. It draws on contemporary research to argue that individuals' capacity for sociability is pre-existent. The Internet simply provides new channels for interaction, with some definite implications for the resulting quality and quantum of social engagement. Section 2 states the central questions of the sociability debate, and develops the idea of "cycles of socialization". It proceeds to discuss how online communication helps maintain strong ties, creates weak ties, and stimulates individuals' capacity for sociability. Section 3 explores the role of online interaction in building social capital, by examining three types of socialcapital- building exercises: creating network capital, civic engagement, and participating in virtual communities. Sections 2 and 3 discuss this paper's core proposition, and section 4 recommends further academic inquiry into the accumulation of social capital at a macro-level, not just at the level of personal and community networks.
Keywords
Internet, Use, Users, Social Networking, User Behaviour.
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