Computers, Phones and the Internet: Domesticating Information Technology

Ch.19. Considering the Interactions: The Effects of the Internet on Self and Society. Katelyn Y. A. McKenna and Gwendolyn Seidman

ABSTRACT:

The Internet is changing the landscape of our interpersonal lives in myriad ways, but are these changes for the better or the worse? The answer is: It all depends. In nearly every area of research on the effects of online interaction there is contradictory data, with some studies demonstrating positive effects and others negative ones. So, which findings are right? Again, it all depends. In this chapter we synthesize the existing research into a coherent framework for understanding what conditions and confluence of factors are most likely to produce particular outcomes. When moderating and mediating factors are taken into account, many of the seemingly contradictory findings are explained. We focus first on interactions between individual differences and electronic communication (the Person x Internet Interaction) and then on group-level interactions (the Group x Internet Interaction). We conclude that simple main effects of Internet use are few and far between.

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