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Pew Neighbors Online Report: Internet Gains on Face to Face

I live in an ungated, city neighborhood, where people actually speak to each other on a regular basis, and we have been having outdoor and indoor family friendly parties once every couple of months. It is a pleasure. But we still get our regular email alerts which are helpful.

So my neighborhood fits in nicely with the findings from the recent Neighbors Online report released by the The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

My Neighborhood

My Neighborhood

Here are a few of the findings quoted from the report’s summary:

In a poll conducted at the end of last year, we asked about online connections to communities and neighbors and found that in the twelve months preceding our survey:

* 22% of all adults (representing 28% of internet users) signed up to receive alerts about local issues (such as traffic, school events, weather warnings or crime alerts) via email or text messaging.
* 20% of all adults (27% of internet users) used digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues.

Overall, physical personal encounters remain the primary way people stay informed about community issues. In the twelve months preceding our survey:

* 46% of Americans talked face-to-face with neighbors about community issues
* 21% discussed community issues over the telephone
* 11% read a blog dealing with community issues
* 9% exchanged emails with neighbors about community issues and 5% say they belong to a community email listserv
* 4% communicated with neighbors by text messaging on cell phones
* 4% joined a social network site group connected to community issues
* 2% followed neighbors using Twitter

The full report can be found here.

2 Responses to “Pew Neighbors Online Report: Internet Gains on Face to Face”

  1. Neighbors Online – What have 27% of Internet Users Discovered? Women Lead the Way. Need More Inclusion. | E-Democracy.Org – Project Blog Says:

    [...] Leonard Witt – Public Journalism Network [...]

  2. Neighbors Online – What have 27% of Internet Users Discovered? Women Lead the Way. Need More Inclusion. | Ashoka.org: News & Knowledge Entrepreneurs Says:

    [...] Leonard Witt – Public Journalism Network [...]

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