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Internet Sociology

Studies have shown that greater usage of the internet is associated with declines in family member communication, declines in social circle size, and increases in depression and loneliness (Kraut et al., 1998; van den Eijnden, Meerkerk, Vermulst, Spijkerman, & Engels, 2008). Over the next ten years an increasing reliance on technology may lead to alienation, as individuals are less likely to understand or influence the events upon which their life happiness depends. Sociologists will increasingly use the internet to examine population trends. Meanwhile, as society enters the modern age in the upcoming decade, individuals who do not possess a cell phone or e-mail address or do not have access to a PC may be socially ostracized in the western world.Of course, there are a multitude of positive effects of internet usage, such as increased associations with political involvement and online community involvement, but involvement does not necessarily lead to satisfaction. Sociological research should focus on younger generations who have only a vague memory of life before the internet, as opposed to older generations. Students who tend to benefit from social networking sites like Facebook tend to be extraverts, who are already willing to communicate in 'real life'; whereas their more introverted counterparts who feel anxiety and fears during 'face to face' conversation, have fewer Facebook friends and benefit less from the Internet (Sheldon, 2008). Sociologists should also study frequency of Internet use, duration of Internet use, and age to see if these have associations with suicidality and behavioral difficulties.


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Internet Sociology. (1969, December 31). In Retrieved 10:11, February 26, 2017, from