matei@usc.edu http://matei.org http://www.metamorph.org 1

Marital status, individualism and on-line Marital status, individualism and on-line groups. groups.

Does the Internet have a “magnifying Does the Internet have a “magnifying glass effect”?glass effect”?

Sorin MateiSorin MateiCommunication Technology and Community ProgramCommunication Technology and Community Program

Annenberg School for CommunicationAnnenberg School for CommunicationUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

The research presented in this paper uses datasets obtained from Metamorphosis, an Annenberg School for

Communication (USC) Communication Technology and Community Program project

matei@usc.edu http://matei.org http://www.metamorph.org 2

Theoretical backgroundTheoretical background

Off-line social-cultural factors that keep people socially anchored – families, friendship networks or neighborhoods – are essential in shaping on-line social encounters

Need to analyze both on-line and off-line personal connections

matei@usc.edu http://matei.org http://www.metamorph.org 3

Theoretical backgroundTheoretical background

Social shaping of technology Transformations in social-cultural structure

are reflected in social choices we make on-line

Major change in late 20th century American society: emergence of radical individualism

On-line discourse and to a certain extent social practices reflect this shift

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Theoretical backgroundTheoretical backgroundWhy are on-line discourse and social practices linked

to individualism: Old American vision of empowering individuals and

extending democracy through technology (Boorstin) Emphasis on “open communication” (Bellah) Community as extension of the self (Jones; Fernback) The “self frontier” (Jones, Riesman) On-line activists explicitly embrace individualism

(Shuler, Rheingold)

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MethodMethodMarital status used as proxy for

individualism:

Single households with no children: 1998: 32%, largest marital status group1972: 16%, doubled its size

Married households with children1972 = 45%, largest marital status group;1998 = 25%; second largest.

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Weakening of economic role of family Individualistic value priorities divorce:1980: 80% of Americans declare “parents should be

free to live their own lives even if it means spending less time with their children" and that parents have the right to live well now "even if it means leaving less to the children" (Yankelovich, 1981, p. 74).

1985: 82% of Americans agree "parents who don't get along should not stay together because there are children in the family,” compared to the 51% who agreed with this statement in 1951 (Myers, 2000).

Causes of family decline:Causes of family decline:

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HypothesesHypotheses H1: Those who are single or divorced are more

likely to agree with individualistic beliefs than the rest of the population.

H2: Singles are more attracted by the social promises of the Internet than married people.

H3: Higher likelihood of making personal connections on-line increases the number of personal friends in real life and is greater for married people.

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DatasetsDatasets

1. The 1993 General Social Survey (N=1606)

2. CBS News “CBS.Marketwatch.com” Internet Poll, January 1999 (N=1782)

3. The Metamorphosis survey of Los Angeles neighborhoods (N=1491)

4. A specially collected on-line groups dataset (N=97)

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MeasuresMeasures You have to take care of yourself first and then

help other people (a/d) - GSS Main goal/best thing about the Internet – making

new friends – CBS Poll Number of people known in real community to

talk about a personal problem – Metamorphosis & Virtual Community datasets

Number of people known on-line to talk about personal problem – VC dataset

Have you ever made a personal friend on-line? - Metamorphosis

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FindingsFindings

H1: Singles have 80% greater odds of putting the self first

H2: Singles are:40% greater odds to say best thing about

Internet is making new friends (CBS)130% greater odds to say main goal for

participating in on-line activities is making new friends (Metamorphosis)

Controlling for age and education

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Real and virtual neighbors known to talk about personal problem

All on-line group members

Virtual neighbors to talk about personal problem

More than oneNone

Rea

l nei

ghbo

rs k

now

to ta

lk a

bout

rea

l pro

blem

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

Marital Status

married widowed

single, divorced, li

ving with partner

MAGNIFYING GLASS EFFECT Main effects both for marital status (F(1, 78)=11.11, p = .01) and for

on-line friendship (F(1, 78)=6.0, p <.05).

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Real and virtual neighbors

Metamorphosis dataset - All areas

Online friendship

YESNO

Rea

l nei

ghbo

rs k

now

n to

talk

abo

ut p

erso

nal p

robl

em 1.8

1.6

1.4

1.2

1.0

.8

.6

Marital status

Married, Widowed

Single, divorced

Interaction effect between marital status and personal ties on-line, F(1, 263)=5.34, p<.05

matei@usc.edu http://matei.org http://www.metamorph.org 13

ConclusionsConclusions

a. Marital status seems to be associated with a general individualistic attitude.

b. Singles are more likely to believe in the social potential of the Internet.

c. Having personal connections on-line seems to be associated with having personal connections in one’s physical community and married people seem to have more connections both in reality and in cyberspace.