Study: Americans feel Strongly about Social Ties Online, Too

STUDY: AMERICANS FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT SOCIAL TIES ONLINE, TOO
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Stefanie Olsen]
For many people, membership to virtual communities can be just as important as real-world social ties, according to a new study. An estimated 43 percent of Americans who belong to online communities say they feel just as strongly about their virtual worlds as their real-world counterparts, according to the USC Annenberg Digital Future Project, which released findings Wednesday of its sixth-annual report examining the Web's impact on society. The findings seem to be in accordance with the ease of meeting new friends online. According to people polled by researchers at the Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School, they met an average of 1.6 new friends per year in real-world settings with whom they originally met online. Those surveyed also met an average of 4.65 friends who remained virtual pals only. In addition, more than 40 percent of Internet users said that the Web helps them stay in touch with more friends and family.
http://news.com.com/Study+Americans+feel+strongly+about+social+ties+online%2C+too/2100-1026_3-6139422.html?tag=nefd.top

* 2007 Digital Future Report
http://www.digitalcenter.org/pages/current_report.asp?intGlobalId=19