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Does the Internet Bring Families Closer Together?

by Terrence O'Brien on October 22, 2008 at 07:29 AM


The Internet (much like TV before it) has taken a lot of criticism, and one argument often heard is that it would impede socialization amongst family members. But, a new study from Pew Internet & American Life Project counters those expectations.

According to a new survey of 2,252 adults, around 25-percent of adults with Internet access said their families were closer now than when they were growing up. Only 17-percent of those without Internet said the same. In fact, many treated browsing the Web as a family activity, with 50-percent of respondents who lived with a spouse and at least one child saying they went online with a family member a few times a week.

We're constantly calling over friends and family to check out videos on YouTube, or e-mailing articles and funny sites, so this really comes as little surprise. The Internet, unlike TV, is inherently social and interactive and so lends itself more easily to becoming an activity a family can participate in together.

More bad news for television: A quarter of respondents said they watched less TV, preferring instead to spend leisure time online. [From: CNET]

Tags: family, internet, pew internet and american life project, PewInternetAndAmericanLifeProject, research, studies, surveys, web

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