Does the Internet Strengthen or Weaken Social Connections?

Introduction: Two Sides of Internet Sociality

Since the dawning of the Digital Age, the Internet has served as a social device, connecting people around the world more easily than ever before in history. Yet what is the actual social effect of Internet connectivity? Does using the Internet in fact strengthen or weaken social connections? There are two sides to the answer: on the one hand, it can be argued that the Internet is a powerful social tool that strengthens social connections by breaking down barriers of time and place so that access to information and communication are nearly instantaneous; on the other hand, it can be argued that the Internet reduces actual face-to-face time and real-life social interaction, such that every generation of the Digital Age risks growing up without ever developing the ability to read social cues, behave appropriately in person, or communicate effectively in a real social environment.

This topic is controversial because it reveals two contradictory impulses of the Internet — the impulse to cut oneself off from actual society and immerse oneself in digital technology (and through that technology interact with a virtual society), and the impulse to utilize digital technology to build social connections that can then achieve social unity and cohesion in real life (as in using Internet dating to find a real-life mate, partner, or spouse). One common argument is that the negative implications of the Internet can result in anti-social behavior — the exact opposite of what Internet advocates say it should promote.

This paper discusses the controversial aspects of the Internet's effect on social connections, drawing on scholarly sources including the peer-reviewed journals Computers in Human Behavior and the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, to analyze arguments made by researchers and academics regarding this topic. The thesis advanced here is that the Internet is simply a tool: it can be used both to grow social connections and to retreat from them, depending on the disposition and motivation of the individual user.

The Case That the Internet Weakens Social Connections

The argument that the Internet has a negative effect on and weakens social connections is based on the idea that it deprives the user of face-to-face time and the experience needed to cultivate real-life relationships. The user becomes addicted to and dependent on social media — much like a drug user becomes dependent upon a narcotic — and cannot function or interact in society without the use of Internet-based social tools. Various academics approach this argument in different ways.

For instance, the research of Weidman, Fernandez, Levinson, Augustine, Larsen, and Rodebaugh (2012) supports this argument by focusing on the relationship between social anxiety and Internet usage. The researchers found that while "social anxiety may be associated with using the Internet as an alternative to face-to-face communication, such a strategy may result in poorer well-being" (p. 191). In other words, individuals who are already prone to anxiety may use the Internet as a refuge that ultimately worsens their condition.

The study of Brandtzaeg (2012) finds that social-networking-site (SNS) users "are more likely than nonusers to report loneliness," though the study also reveals that there is "major evidence for the need to distinguish SNS users" (p. 484). This argument suggests that individuals may be driven to use SNS sites because of loneliness or a lack of any real social life — but Brandtzaeg notes that he cannot confirm this point definitively because more research is needed with a larger sample size. Essentially, the finding is that some correlation exists between isolation and Internet usage, though this correlation varies from individual to individual.

A further argument related to the Internet's weakness regarding social connectivity is made by Rosenfeld and Thomas (2012), who argue that the rate of "heterosexual partnership" has remained flat since the dawning of the Internet era, though the rate of "same-sex partnership" has risen (p. 523). The rise in same-sex partnerships may be attributable to any number of external factors, such as more socially accepting attitudes among younger generations. Nonetheless, the finding that the Internet has provided no discernible advantage in facilitating greater heterosexual partnership suggests it does not uniformly strengthen social bonds.

The Case That the Internet Strengthens Social Connections

On the other side of the controversy is the argument that the Internet can actually improve real socialization. The study by Amichai-Hamburger and Hayat (2011), using a sample drawn from 13 different countries, examines the effect of the Internet on users' social lives. Their finding indicates that "Internet usage can actually enhance the social lives of its users" (p. 585). This conclusion is reached through an analysis of different social dimensions and relationships. Specifically, Amichai-Hamburger and Hayat examined how Internet users interact in family situations, among friends, and with colleagues. Across each social segment in each of the 13 countries — with over 20,000 participants — the data showed that Internet activity actually "increased social interaction" (p. 585).

This argument is also supported by Ellison, Vitak, Gray, and Lampe (2014) in their study of Facebook relationships and social capital (p. 855). What they find is that in the Digital Age, social capital can be important in facilitating social connections whether virtual or real-life. Social capital functions somewhat like "status": if an individual has 1,000 followers or friends on Facebook, he or she possesses more social capital than an individual with only 50 followers. That same individual is also more likely to have greater social connectivity in real-life settings — though this is by no means a rule and is merely a generalization according to Ellison et al. (2014). Their central argument is that social connectivity can be strengthened through Internet usage.

Finally, Yang and Brown (2013) argue that Internet sites like Facebook can "foster or inhibit social adjustment" (p. 403) depending on various factors in the individual's life. Yang and Brown analyze the usage of social media in determining how well individuals use it to develop real-life connections. Their argument is predicated on the assumption that real-life connections are more desirable than virtual ones, which may not hold true in all circumstances or for all users. This argument can be supported when Internet usage is evaluated in terms of its capacity to facilitate traditional connections. It does not, however, apply to individuals who regard digitalized connectivity — or virtual connections — as legitimately social and conducive to sociality in and of themselves. Therefore, while Yang and Brown (2013) demonstrate that extenuating circumstances affect social connectivity beyond mere Internet usage, their study does not explore the legitimacy of sociality within a purely virtual context.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Internet should not be viewed negatively or positively in isolation, because many factors outside the Internet itself shape the way it is used. Fears, anxieties, discomfort, attachment, and isolation may lead some users to become dependent upon social media as they attempt — often unsuccessfully — to establish a real-life connection through social-networking sites. This is a perceived weakness, but it is more accurately a weakness of the individual than of the Internet. Another person can use that same Internet to develop a stronger, healthier, and even more traditionally grounded relationship.

Thus, how the Internet affects social connections depends largely on the individuals involved in the process of sociality. The Internet is nothing more than a facilitator. If an individual has weaknesses in sociality, the Internet may facilitate and even worsen those weaknesses; if an individual has strengths in the social domain, the Internet can help that person develop and extend them further. It is, in the end, up to the individual to decide what he or she wants from the Internet. Whether one wants to cultivate a virtual life or a real-life one — and whether one is willing and able to attend to the demands that either entails — will ultimately play the greatest role of all in determining whether the Internet strengthens or weakens social connections.

References

Amichai-Hamburger, Y., & Hayat, Z. (2011). The impact of the Internet on the social lives of users: A representative sample from 13 countries. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(1): 585–589.

Brandtzaeg, P. (2012). Social networking sites: Their users and social implications — a longitudinal study. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 17(4): 467–488.

Ellison, N., Vitak, J., Gray, R., & Lampe, C. (2014). Cultivating social resources on social network sites: Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors and their role in social capital processes. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(4): 855–870.

Rosenfeld, M., & Thomas, R. (2012). Searching for a mate: The rise of the Internet as a social intermediary. American Sociological Review, 77(4): 523–547.

Weidman, A., Fernandez, K., Levinson, C., Augustine, A., Larsen, R., & Rodebaugh, T. (2012). Compensatory internet use among individuals higher in social anxiety and its implications for well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 53(3): 191–195.

Yang, C., & Brown, B. (2013). Motives for using Facebook, patterns of Facebook activities, and late adolescents' social adjustment to college. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(3): 403–416.