Is the Internet harmful to our sociability

G

Guardian of Selfhood

Chocobo Breeder
Joined
Dec 7, 2006
Messages
18
Gil
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Hi everyone. I am sorry to pester you guys with this but I would really appreciate it if some of you could answer my questionnaire on the social effects of the Internet. The questionnaire is for my dissertation which revolves around issues regarding the Internet and social capital; I want to find out more about what kinds of effects the Internet has on our relationships with each other and on our social lives. The questionnaire won't take that long to complete I can assure you (it will only take 5 minutes or so) the questionnaire just asks the usual stuff about on-line communities, time spent online, number of (real-life) clubs joined, etc. The data will be kept totally confidential, if you could PM me the responses then that would be fantastic. I will destroy the data as soon as I've finished with it. None of the questions are too personal or offensive.

Participation is entirely voluntary, you may withdraw at any time you like (or refuse to answer questions you dislike) without being questioned. I will make the results of the research available to people who are interested. If you wish to discuss these issues then that is equally fine. If you have any concerns please e-mail me at lwu04in@reading.ac.uk.

I hope this is okay, I think I've posted this in the right forum. Like I said, this has to be done for my dissertation, I need to do some empirical research. It is certainly interesting looking at people's answers to the questions though and I am enjoying it so far so it would be nice to see what everyone here has to say about the whole issue. I thank you all for your time.

Questionnaire begins:



Do you give your consent to answer the questionnaire?

Yes No

  • Are you male or female?
  • Which ethnic group do you belong to?
White European
White other
Black African Caribbean
Black African
Indian
Pakistani
Chinese
Asian other
Mixed ethnicity

  • Which of these social classes do you think you belong to?
Manual working class
Semi-skilled working class
Skilled working class
Lower-middle class/clerical workers
Intermediate middle class (teachers, lower-grade professionals)
Upper middle class (doctors, highly qualified professionals)
Upper class (property owners/employers).

4. How old are you?

5. How much time do you spend on the Internet each week (on average)?

0-5 hours
6-11 hours
12-17 hours
18-23 hours
24+ hours

6. How much leisure time do you spend with friends and family in person each week (on average)?

0-5 hours
6-11 hours
12-17 hours
18-23 hours
24-30 hours
30+ hours

7. Which type of websites do you tend to visit whilst online? Select as many that apply.

Message boards/forums
Online shopping
News websites
Political websites
Other (please specify)

8. When you’re online, do you often communicate with people from different backgrounds (i.e. people of a different nationality, ethnic group, social class, etc.)?

Yes
No

9. How would you describe your online relationships?



10. Do you feel particularly close to your Internet contacts (please explain why or why not)?



11. Have you ever met up with, and befriended, someone you communicated with over the Internet? (select one of the responses)

Yes
No

12. Have you ever been concerned about online flaming (flaming refers to heated arguments and/or abuse in online message boards/chat rooms/forums)?

13. Would you say flaming was one of the major problems of communicating online?

Yes
No

14. Would you say you belong to an online community, or do you think it’s impossible for a group of people who communicate over the Internet to form a community?


15. Do you use Computer Mediated Communications (CMC’s) such as e-mail, instant messaging, and message forums to communicate with your personal, close relationships such as family and friends?

Yes
No

16. Do you feel as close to your family and friends when you are communicated via the Internet/e-mail as you would do in person?

Yes No

17. How many real-life (offline) clubs/societies do you belong to?

1-3
4-6
7-9
10+

18. Have you ever joined an online protest movement?
Yes
No

19. Have you ever joined any groups which use networking via the Internet to put people in touch with each other (for example, Facebook.com)?
Yes
No

20. Which groups are these? (specify the name(s) of the group(s))

21. On the whole, would you say using the Internet improves your relationships with other people, or it has no effect on people’s relationships, or does it make you more isolated/alienated from other humans? (select one response)

Improves relationships
Has no effect on relationships
Worsens relationships/makes me more isolated

22. Do you trust people you speak to online?

Yes
No

23. Have you come across someone online who has helped you out in some way (i.e. by giving you advice)?

Yes
No

Thank you very much for completing my questionnaire. I appreciate it.
 
Do you give your consent to answer the questionnaire?
Dunno what consent means, sorry.
Yes No
  • Are you male or female? male
  • Which ethnic group do you belong to?
White European
White other
Black African Caribbean
Black African
Indian
Pakistani
Chinese
Asian other
Mixed ethnicity (half iraqi, half canadian)
  • Which of these social classes do you think you belong to?
Manual working class
Semi-skilled working class
Skilled working class
Lower-middle class/clerical workers
Intermediate middle class (teachers, lower-grade professionals)
Upper middle class (doctors, highly qualified professionals) (im only 13 but my father is around here)
Upper class (property owners/employers).

4. How old are you? 13

5. How much time do you spend on the Internet each week (on average)?

0-5 hours
6-11 hours
12-17 hours
18-23 hours
24+ hours (over 50 sometimes XD)

6. How much leisure time do you spend with friends and family in person each week (on average)?

0-5 hours
6-11 hours
12-17 hours
18-23 hours (im not the most social, but i see my friends alot, go with them alot too)
24-30 hours
30+ hours

7. Which type of websites do you tend to visit whilst online? Select as many that apply.

Message boards/forums (mostly stuff im interested in)
Online shopping
News websites (more leisure news sites with other content like digg.com)
Political websites
Other (please specify) (gaming sites, sites i own/admin on/semi-own)

8. When you’re online, do you often communicate with people from different backgrounds (i.e. people of a different nationality, ethnic group, social class, etc.)?

Yes (Alot)
No

9. How would you describe your online relationships?
Not as strong as my real life relations, but they are still my friends.


10. Do you feel particularly close to your Internet contacts (please explain why or why not)?
Not so much, only some, since I dont really see them, neither have I met them in real life, but I still sense that we've met in real life.


11. Have you ever met up with, and befriended, someone you communicated with over the Internet? (select one of the responses)

Yes (about 10)
No

12. Have you ever been concerned about online flaming (flaming refers to heated arguments and/or abuse in online message boards/chat rooms/forums)?
nope, I usually just ignore them.
13. Would you say flaming was one of the major problems of communicating online?

Yes
No (that would be the act of befriending little kids,considering your over 18, and meeting them in real life, abusing them, robbing them etc.)

14. Would you say you belong to an online community, or do you think it’s impossible for a group of people who communicate over the Internet to form a community?
Possible, depending what type of community...

15. Do you use Computer Mediated Communications (CMC’s) such as e-mail, instant messaging, and message forums to communicate with your personal, close relationships such as family and friends?

Yes (mostly friends)

 No

16. Do you feel as close to your family and friends when you are communicated via the Internet/e-mail as you would do in person?

Yes
No (they are a bit diffrent on the internet...)

17. How many real-life (offline) clubs/societies do you belong to?

1-3
4-6 (not too many, i attend them rarely)
7-9
10+

18. Have you ever joined an online protest movement?
Yes
No (dunno what that is)

19. Have you ever joined any groups which use networking via the Internet to put people in touch with each other (for example, Facebook.com)?
Yes (not anymore)
No

20. Which groups are these? (specify the name(s) of the group(s))
used to use myspace, piczo and orku
21. On the whole, would you say using the Internet improves your relationships with other people, or it has no effect on people’s relationships, or does it make you more isolated/alienated from other humans? (select one response)

Improves relationships (I find that talking to friends on the internet, to ppl you know in real life, improves you relathionship.)
Has no effect on relationships
Worsens relationships/makes me more isolated

22. Do you trust people you speak to online?
It can be both but mostly yes
Yes
No

23. Have you come across someone online who has helped you out in some way (i.e. by giving you advice)?
Yes (many...)
No

Thank you very much for completing my questionnaire. I appreciate it.

Hope that this helps ;)
 
Do you give your consent to answer the questionnaire?
Of course.

Are you male or female?
Male

Which ethnic group do you belong to?
White European

Which of these social classes do you think you belong to?
I find the options far too specific and simple. Many people don't belong to any option.
OTHER.

How old are you?
15

How much time do you spend on the Internet each week (on average)?
24+ hours, woops <_<

How much leisure time do you spend with friends and family in person each week (on average)?
30+ hours - friends and family are the most important thing.

Which type of websites do you tend to visit whilst online? Select as many that apply.
Message boards/forums
Other - I tend to, quite often, visit sites with given religious arguments. They are quite random, however. Also, MSN, which I do simultaneously with FFF :P

When you’re online, do you often communicate with people from different backgrounds (i.e. people of a different nationality, ethnic group, social class, etc.)?
Yes, but only from the forums. I do "communicate" with them, but not on a huge level, i.e. best friends, visits, etc. Well, there are a few exceptions.

How would you describe your online relationships?
Relationships, in what sense? I have found a few friends on the forums whom I have grown very close with. I use MSN, as do all my friends, which we use instead of the very costly texting. MSN is so much cheaper :P

Do you feel particularly close to your Internet contacts (please explain why or why not)?
My MSN contacts, yes. At least my close friends, such as school mates, best friends, etc. I have grown very close with around 5 or 6 people from various forums, 4 of them from FFF, actually. Depends on who it is, really. But then, you can't be friends with everyone, can you?

Have you ever met up with, and befriended, someone you communicated with over the Internet? (select one of the responses)
No. However, I've promised one or two of them that I will try to visit them on my summer holidays between leaving school and University/College. So I will be, eventually, but not as of yet.

Have you ever been concerned about online flaming (flaming refers to heated arguments and/or abuse in online message boards/chat rooms/forums)?
Concerned? Well, before becoming staff, I would just stay out of it. Once appointed a Global Moderator on FFF, it became my duty to diminish them.

Would you say flaming was one of the major problems of communicating online?
No. The only problem communicating online would be the reliability of the internet connections, or losing contact through accidental deletion, bannings, suspensions, etc.

Would you say you belong to an online community, or do you think it’s impossible for a group of people who communicate over the Internet to form a community?
There are definitely more people who are more close-knit than some others. It can sometimes feel like we're all living in the same street :P

Do you use Computer Mediated Communications (CMC’s) such as e-mail, instant messaging, and message forums to communicate with your personal, close relationships such as family and friends?
Yes, very much so.

Do you feel as close to your family and friends when you are communicated via the Internet/e-mail as you would do in person?
Yes. Infact, it's sometimes easier to talk to people online than in person.

How many real-life (offline) clubs/societies do you belong to?
4-6

Have you ever joined an online protest movement?
Yes

Have you ever joined any groups which use networking via the Internet to put people in touch with each other (for example, Facebook.com)?
If Bebo and/or MySpace counts, then yes.

Which groups are these? (specify the name(s) of the group(s))
Bebo and Piczo.

On the whole, would you say using the Internet improves your relationships with other people, or it has no effect on people’s relationships, or does it make you more isolated/alienated from other humans? (select one response)
Improves relationships - I have definitely become a better person after downloading MSN.

Do you trust people you speak to online?
Yes, mostly. It does take a while, obviously. Also, it requires much use of Webcam's :P

Have you come across someone online who has helped you out in some way (i.e. by giving you advice)?
On the internet? Yes. Some of the aforementioned friends of mine have been very helpful with crises.

Help, much?
 
Thanks very much guys. I really appreciate it. If anyone else wants to answer the questionnaire then that would be fantastic seeing as a few more replies would be very useful, although I already have got 33 of them back so far so I probably should start analysing the data seeing as it's due in for the end of Spring Term. However, more replies would still be useful.

Cheers guys.
 
Do you give your consent to answer the questionnaire?

 You bet.
  • Are you male or female?
Female, naturally.
  • Which ethnic group do you belong to?
White European

  • Which of these social classes do you think you belong to?
None that was stated, sorry >.< Other.

 4. How old are you?

15, 16 this Thursday =]

 5. How much time do you spend on the Internet each week (on average)?

 6-11 hours - I prefer being outdoors a lot.
6. How much leisure time do you spend with friends and family in person each week (on average)?

30+ hours
7. Which type of websites do you tend to visit whilst online? Select as many that apply.

 Message boards/forums and MSN, FTW! =]
8. When you’re online, do you often communicate with people from different backgrounds (i.e. people of a different nationality, ethnic group, social class, etc.)?

Yes - I have friends in different countries that have different beliefs to me, it's great learning about how they differ from mine.
9. How would you describe your online relationships?

A lot of them are just like the relationships I have offline, if not better. A lot of my best friends are online and they're brilliant to talk with.

10. Do you feel particularly close to your Internet contacts (please explain why or why not)?

Particularly close *smiles* As said, it's easier to talk with them online as opposed to talking to someone face to face as they can't read into you as much. [I'm a very private person, you're actually lucky if I call you an online friend xD].

11. Have you ever met up with, and befriended, someone you communicated with over the Internet? (select one of the responses)

I've met up with someone from online, yup =] And I'll continue to do so, I have a lot of places to visit. :P

12. Have you ever been concerned about online flaming (flaming refers to heated arguments and/or abuse in online message boards/chat rooms/forums)?

It depends what the flaming is about and how bad it is, I think a line should be drawn somewhere. Everyone has a right to argue for what they believe in but I think it's necessary to step it when things get -too- heated.

 13. Would you say flaming was one of the major problems of communicating online?

 I wouldn't say so. Major problems online is trust - whether to believe someone is actually who they say they are. At least, that's what I believe.
 14. Would you say you belong to an online community, or do you think it’s impossible for a group of people who communicate over the Internet to form a community?

Just look at this forum. :P Yes, I belong to an online community, proof that it's not impossible. -_~


 15. Do you use Computer Mediated Communications (CMC’s) such as e-mail, instant messaging, and message forums to communicate with your personal, close relationships such as family and friends?

 MSN - fo' lyf. x]

 16. Do you feel as close to your family and friends when you are communicated via the Internet/e-mail as you would do in person?

You bet. In fact, I feel closer to a lot of people online than my offline friends [in some cases].

17. How many real-life (offline) clubs/societies do you belong to?

 1-3 - I tend to just hang out with my friends a lot than belong to any clubs.
 18. Have you ever joined an online protest movement?
Nope.

 19. Have you ever joined any groups which use networking via the Internet to put people in touch with each other (for example, Facebook.com)?
MySpace?

 20. Which groups are these? (specify the name(s) of the group(s))

MySpace.

 21. On the whole, would you say using the Internet improves your relationships with other people, or it has no effect on people’s relationships, or does it make you more isolated/alienated from other humans? (select one response)

 Improves relationships

22. Do you trust people you speak to online?

 Yes - I wouldn't talk to them otherwise, but I'm careful. Very careful.

23. Have you come across someone online who has helped you out in some way (i.e. by giving you advice)?

*Smiles* You could say that, heh...
 
Do you give your consent to answer the questionnaire?
Yes.

1.Are you male or female?
Female.


2.Which ethnic group do you belong to?
White


3.Which of these social classes do you think you belong to?
None listened.

4. How old are you?
15, almost 16.

5. How much time do you spend on the Internet each week (on average)?
24+ hours. Bad I know, but hey. :P

6. How much leisure time do you spend with friends and family in person each week (on average)?
Maybe only half an hour a day. I wish for more, but my family is very busy. On a really good day, like a holiday, maybe six hours.

7. Which type of websites do you tend to visit whilst online? Select as many that apply.
Message boards/forums.

8. When you’re online, do you often communicate with people from different backgrounds (i.e. people of a different nationality, ethnic group, social class, etc.)?
No. Around my place, there's not many differences. We're all just mainly white, all about middle-class. If there is somebody different, then they usually stay by themselves, or their own little group.

9. How would you describe your online relationships?
They can seem close, but their not, really.


10. Do you feel particularly close to your Internet contacts (please explain why or why not)?
No. I've never actually seen them.

11. Have you ever met up with, and befriended, someone you communicated with over the Internet? (select one of the responses)
No.

12. Have you ever been concerned about online flaming (flaming refers to heated arguments and/or abuse in online message boards/chat rooms/forums)?
Yes. They can really offend or hurt people.

13. Would you say flaming was one of the major problems of communicating online?
No.

14. Would you say you belong to an online community, or do you think it’s impossible for a group of people who communicate over the Internet to form a community?
I think it's possible. I just don't think an online community is as tight as a real community.

15. Do you use Computer Mediated Communications (CMC’s) such as e-mail, instant messaging, and message forums to communicate with your personal, close relationships such as family and friends?
Yes.

16. Do you feel as close to your family and friends when you are communicated via the Internet/e-mail as you would do in person?
No. I feel better talking face to face, and being able to hug them.

17. How many real-life (offline) clubs/societies do you belong to?
1-3

18. Have you ever joined an online protest movement?
No.

19. Have you ever joined any groups which use networking via the Internet to put people in touch with each other (for example, Facebook.com)?
No.

20. Which groups are these? (specify the name(s) of the group(s))
None.

21. On the whole, would you say using the Internet improves your relationships with other people, or it has no effect on people’s relationships, or does it make you more isolated/alienated from other humans? (select one response)
Worsens relationships/makes me more isolated.

22. Do you trust people you speak to online?
To an extent. Definately not about personal things, and I wouldn't trust anybody enough to go and meet them someplace.

23. Have you come across someone online who has helped you out in some way (i.e. by giving you advice)?
Yes. If find that if you give people the gist of a pretty serious probably, they can give you pretty good advice, actually. The more personalized it is, it seems to go astray.

Hope this helped a bunch. ^_^ Yano, it'd be alot easier if you made this as a poll on a site, say, on www.quizlla.com , and use a link to it. Maybe ask people to post their extra thoughts on the comments part.
 
Last edited:
Do you give your consent to answer the questionnaire?

WOT DO U MEAN?

  • Are you male or female? MALE
  • Which ethnic group do you belong to?
White European

  • Which of these social classes do you think you belong to?
Manual working class
Semi-skilled working class
Skilled working class

4. How old are you? 16

5. How much time do you spend on the Internet each week (on average)?

24+ hours

6. How much leisure time do you spend with friends and family in person each week (on average)?

0-5 hours

7. Which type of websites do you tend to visit whilst online? Select as many that apply.

Message boards/forums

8. When you’re online, do you often communicate with people from different backgrounds (i.e. people of a different nationality, ethnic group, social class, etc.)?

Yes

9. How would you describe your online relationships?

ALRIGHT I SUPPOSE

10. Do you feel particularly close to your Internet contacts (please explain why or why not)?

NOT REALLY

11. Have you ever met up with, and befriended, someone you communicated with over the Internet? (select one of the responses)

No

12. Have you ever been concerned about online flaming (flaming refers to heated arguments and/or abuse in online message boards/chat rooms/forums)?

NOPE
13. Would you say flaming was one of the major problems of communicating online?

Yes

14. Would you say you belong to an online community, or do you think it’s impossible for a group of people who communicate over the Internet to form a community?
DUNNO

15. Do you use Computer Mediated Communications (CMC’s) such as e-mail, instant messaging, and message forums to communicate with your personal, close relationships such as family and friends?

Yes

16. Do you feel as close to your family and friends when you are communicated via the Internet/e-mail as you would do in person?

No

17. How many real-life (offline) clubs/societies do you belong to?

1-3

18. Have you ever joined an online protest movement?
NO

19. Have you ever joined any groups which use networking via the Internet to put people in touch with each other (for example, Facebook.com)?
Yes


20. Which groups are these? (specify the name(s) of the group(s)) WHAT?

21. On the whole, would you say using the Internet improves your relationships with other people, or it has no effect on people’s relationships, or does it make you more isolated/alienated from other humans? (select one response)


Has no effect on relationships

22. Do you trust people you speak to online?

Yes (NOT WITH ANYTHING LIKE PIN NUMBERS OR ANYTHING

23. Have you come across someone online who has helped you out in some way (i.e. by giving you advice)?

Yes
MY FRIEND GEMMA
 
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