ThankstotheWebWe’reAloneTogetherandLovingit
There'saprofessorBarryWellmanattheUniversityofTorontoinCanadawhohascomeupwithatermtodescribethewayalotofusNorthAmericansinteractthesedays.Andnowabigresearchstudyconfirmsit.
BarryWellman'stermis"networkedindividualism."It'snottheeasiestconcepttograsp.Infactthewordsseemtocontradicteachother.Howcanwebeindividualisticandnetworkedatthesametime?Youneedotherpeoplefornetworks.
Here'swhathemeans.UntiltheInternetande-mailcamealongoursocialnetworksinvolvedflesh-and-bloodrelativesfriendsneighborsandcolleaguesatwork.Someoftheinteractionwasbyphonebutitwasstillvoicetovoicepersontopersoninrealtime.
ButthelateststudybythePewInternetandAmericanLifeProjectconfirmsthatforalotofpeopleelectronicinteractionthroughthecomputerhasreplacedagreatdealofsocialinterchange.AlotoffolksPewtalkedwithsaythat'sagoodthingbecauseofconcernsthattheInternetwasturningusintohermitswhoshutoutotherpeopleinfavorofamake-believeworldonflickeringcomputerscreens.
TothecontrarythePewstudydiscoveredtheInternethasputusintouchwithmorerealpeoplethanwe'dhaveeverimagined.Helpfulpeopletoo.We'returningtoanever-growinglistofcyberfriendsforadviceoncareersmedicalcriseschild-rearingandchoosingaschoolorcollege.About60millionAmericanstoldthePewthattheInternetplaysanimportantorcrucialroleinhelpingthemdealwithmajorlifedecisions.
Sowenetworkedindividualsareprettytricky:We'rekeepingmoretoourselveswhileatthesametimereachingouttomorepeopleallwithjusttheclickofacomputermouse!
1.ThePewstudywasconductedin_____.
A.TheUnitedStates | B.Canada |
C.TheU.S.andCanada | D.Europe |