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From a news story by
By Ted Landphair - Voice of America News

April 2006

There's a professor at the University of Toronto in Canada who has come up with a term to describe the way a lot of us North Americans interact these days. And now a big research study confirms it.

Barry Wellman's term is "networked individualism." It's not the easiest concept to grasp. In fact, the words seem to contradict each other. How can we be individualistic and networked at the same time? You need other people for networks.

Here's what he means. Until the Internet and e-mail came along, our social networks involved flesh-and-blood relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues at work. Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice to voice, person to person, in real time.

But the latest study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project confirms that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced a great deal of social interchange. A lot of folks Pew talked with say that's a good thing, because of concerns that the Internet was turning us into hermits who shut out other people in favor of a make-believe world on flickering computer screens.

To the contrary, the Pew study discovered. The Internet has put us in touch with many MORE real people than we'd have ever imagined. Helpful people, too. We're turning to an ever-growing list of cyber friends for advice on careers, medical crises, child-rearing, and choosing a school or college. About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important or crucial role in helping them deal with major life decisions.

So we networked individuals are pretty tricky: We're keeping more to ourselves, while at the same time reaching out to more people, all with just the click of a computer mouse!

Follow-up Notes

• Barry Wellman is a sociologist based at the University of Toronto in Canada.  His research deals with the impact of technology on human interactions.

For more information, see the websites below:

• The Pew Internet and American Life Project includes studies on online dating, how women and men use the Internet, the strength of Internet ties among people, web-surfing for fun, and other topics.  For links see the Project’s homepage at http://www.pewinternet.org/.

Professor Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto in Canada has invented a term to describe the way many North Americans interact these days.  The term is “networked individualism.”  This concept is not easy to understand because the words seem to have opposite meanings.  How can we be individuals and be networked at the same time?  You need other people for networks. 

Here is what Professor Wellman means.  Before the invention of the Internet and e-mail, our social networks involved live interactions with relatives, neighbors, and colleagues at work.  Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice to voice, person to person, in real time.

A recent research study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced this person-to-person interaction.  However, a lot of people interviewed for the Pew study say that’s a good thing.  Why?

In the past, many people were worried that the Internet isolated us and caused us to spend too much time in the imaginary world of the computer.  But the Pew study discovered that the opposite is true.  The Internet connects us with MORE real people than expected—helpful people who can give advice on careers, medical problems, raising children, and choosing a school or college.  About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important role in helping them make major life decisions.

Thanks to the computer, “networked individuals” are able to be alone and together with other people--at the same time!

Follow-up Notes

• Barry Wellman is a sociologist based at the University of Toronto in Canada.  His research deals with the impact of technology on human interactions.

For more information, see the websites below:

• The Pew Internet and American Life Project includes studies on online dating, how women and men use the Internet, the strength of Internet ties among people, web-surfing for fun, and other topics.  For links see the Project’s homepage at http://www.pewinternet.org/.