The Internet as magnifying glass : marital staus and on-line social ties

Matei, Sorin (author)

The article investigates the relationship between real and virtual social spaces and the role marital status plays in mediating it. Marital status is used as an indicator for emergence of "loose connections" in American society.The study employs survey data collected from 1812 Los Angeles residents. Data analysis by logistic regression and analysis of variance indicates that although singles find the Internet more attractive, due to its social capabilities (e.g., making new friends), it is married individuals that benefit the most from having on-line ties. The general conclusion is that integration of Internet technologies in social life is steered by off-line social contexts. Singles, who have weaker social ties and lower level of commitment to formal and informal organisations, instinctively see the Internet as a social opportunity. Yet, they will be far less successful in taking advantage of this opportunity than married individuals are. Married individuals benefit from what appears to be the Internet's "magnifying glass" effect: strong personal bonds in reality are strengthened by making Internet friends.

• Language: English
• Keywords: virtual reality, space, legislation
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2003
• Number of pages: Str. 100-112
• Numbering: Vol. 10, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-76567
• UDC: 004.738.5
• ISSN on article: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 21946717
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Javnost = The public
• Shortened title: Javnost
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, European Institute for Communication and Culture
• ISSN: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 40119808

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Članek proučuje odnos med realnimi in virtualnimi družbenimi prostori ter vlogo, ki jo ima zakonski stan v posredovanju med njimi. Zakonski status je uporabljen kot kazalnik krepitve "ohlapnih vezi" v ameriški družbi. Raziskava sloni na podatkih, zbranih med 1812 prebivalci Los Angelesa. Rezultati regresijske analize in analize variance kažejo, da samci sicer imajo internet za bolj privlačen zaradi njegovih socialnih zmogljivosti (npr. iskanje novih prijateljev), vendar imajo od njega več koristi poročeni. Zaključek je, da integracijo interneta v družbeno življenje krmili off-line družbeni kontekst. Samci s šibkejšimi socialnimi vezmi in nižjo stopnjo obveznosti do formalnih in neformalnih organizacij instinktivno vidijo internet kot socialno priložnost. Vendar so mnogo manj uspešni pri izrabi te priložnosti kot poročeni, ki jim koristi internetov učinek "povečevalnega stekla": tesne osebne vezi v realnem svetu se utrjujejo s prijatelji z interneta.

• Keywords: virtualna resničnost, prostor, zakonodaja