The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center just released their fourth “Future of the Internet” survey, the topic of which was “The Future of Social Relations.” The opt-in study, which tapped 895 tech stakeholders and critics, essentially presented respondents with two differing world views:
“In 2020, when I look at the big picture and consider my personal friendships, marriage and other relationships, I see that the internet has mostly been a positive force on my social world. And this will only grow more true in the future. ”and…
“In 2020, when I look at the big picture and consider my personal friendships, marriage and other relationships, I see that the internet has mostly been a negative force on my social world. And this will only grow more true in the future. ”
They then chose one viewpoint, elaborated as to why they chose that stance, as well as pontificated on the subject more generally. The results are pretty interesting.
In looking at these results it’s important to take them with a grain of salt, as they come from people who are mostly web enthusiasts. According to Pew, “50% have been using the Internet since 1992 or earlier, with 11% actively involved online since 1982 or earlier. When asked for their primary area of Internet interest, 15% of the survey participants identified themselves as research scientists; 14% as business leaders or entrepreneurs; 12% as consultants or futurists, 12% as authors, editors or journalists; 9% as technology developers or administrators; 7% as advocates or activist users; 3% as pioneers or originators; 2% as legislators, politicians or lawyers; and 25% specified their primary area of interest as ‘other.’”
Respondents include everyone from Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, to folks from top universities and government agencies, as well as companies like Google, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Yahoo, Intel, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Ericsson Research, Nokia and The New York Times.
Still, Pew provided a myriad of more descriptive responses from those surveyed that cast an interesting light on the findings. While many cited positive experiences with the web — such as meeting spouses, fostering relationships with distant relatives and cutting the costs of communication — many also questioned the effects of the web on society. Think loss of privacy, deep relationships and burgeoning intolerance (not to mention the rise of Justin Bieber — my own contribution). Here’s a selection of quotes from survey respondents that we found most interesting. Take a moment and let us know in the comments: How do you think the web is affecting our social relations?
“The net is about people connecting online, for commerce, politics, and personally, and we already see that enhances real-life relationships. Location-based social networking, in particular, will be a big part of our lives.” —Craig Newmark, founder and customer- service representative, Craigslist, former software engineer and programmer at companies such as JustInTime Solutions, Bank of America and IBM
“If – and I believe this will happen eventually – the tendency to make remarks and adopt positions you would never consider in person can be overcome, online society stands a very real chance of taking interpersonal relationships to a level never before possible. Balancing out the anonymity and lack of physical contact is the ability to mask a plethora of medical and psychological conditions that until now have proven serious handicaps to social interaction. No one stutters or stammers on Twitter.” —Robert G. Ferrell, information systems security professional, US government, former systems security specialist, National Business Center, US Department of the Interior
“Fifty years ago emigrants left their family and friends behind. Now people who move from one country to another simply enlarge their social networks, building truly global communities.” —Hal Varian, chief economist of Google and on the faculty at the University of California-Berkeley
“The Internet helps me maintain contact with a greater number of people. But it also makes it easier for me to retreat within a form-fitted political, religious, or social landscape. It’s when we find ways to work with people with whom we disagree that society progresses. The internet makes it easier for me to avoid disagreement and compromise and encourages me to become more strident and polarized in my views. That’s a problem.” —Tim Marema, vice president of the Center for Rural Strategies
“The technology is simply as good or bad as human nature. One has only to look at the hype around #iranelection to see the capacity for giddy optimism to be supplanted by calculated abuse of power. The Internet can be a positive force for creating reinforcing social connections, and a negative for abuse of civil liberties and increasing polarization of opinion.” —Perry Hewitt, director of digital communications and communications services at Harvard University
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