Nonrecursive Models of Internet Use and Community Engagement

Questioning Whether Time Spent Online Erodes Social Capital

Datos Bibliográficos

ID23323484
AutoresDhavan V Shah (0000-0001-5034-2816, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Dhavan Shah (University of Wisconsin–Madison), Michael Schmierbach (0000-0002-2765-2602, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Joshua Hawkins (University of Wisconsin–Madison), Rodolfo Espino (University of Wisconsin–Madison), Janet Donavan (0000-0002-7579-551X, University of Wisconsin–Madison)
Año2002
Volumen79
Número4
Páginas964-987
Fecha de publicación2002-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1077-6990 • E-ISSN: 2161-430X
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/107769900207900412
OpenAlexW1976876938
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas64

Although some argue that Internet use may erode involvement in public life, the most common Internet behaviors, social communication and information searching, may actually foster social and civic participation. To examine this possibility, we test a series of non-recursive models using a national survey of nearly 3,400 respondents. Two-stage least squares regressions were performed to simultaneously test the reciprocal relationship between frequency of Internet use (i.e., hours per day) and three sets of community engagement behaviors: informal social interaction, attendance at public events, and participation in civic volunteerism (i.e., annual frequency). Time spent online has a positive relationship with public attendance and civic volunteerism. No evidence of time displacement from frequency of Internet use is observed.

Attendance · Church attendance · Civic engagement · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Social capital · Social engagement · Social science · Sociology · Test (biology) · The Internet · Computer Science · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Psychology · Social Capital and Networks · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology