Internet Use Cuts Socializing Time

Sammy at Palm Addict writes "A new survey published in the New York Times states that using the internet has seriously cut into our socializing time. We spend less time watching TV and more time using the internet and following up email. 'The survey found that use of the Internet has displaced television watching and a range of other activities. Internet users watch television for one hour and 42 minutes a day, compared with the national average of two hours.'"

TV

[Anonymous Coward]

Television is a kind of socialization/socializing?! WTF?!?!!

Hot damn

[savagedome]

"It's a bit of a two-edged sword," said Nie. "You can't get a hug or a kiss or a smile over the Internet." Many people are still more inclined to use the telephone for contact with family, he said.

I didn't know you could get a hug or a kiss or a smile over the phone. Time to start dialing those 900 numbers.

Re:The Journal "Duh!"

[Vampyre_Dark]

Or am I missing something?

Nope, Captain Obvious needs a paycheck too!

My socializing has become more efficient

[WormholeFiend]

Thanks to Instant Messaging...

omg lol kthxbye

Oh, please

[welshwaterloo]

"The study, titled "What Do Americans Do on the Internet?".. "

We can only presume the pages of the report are stuck together..

Nice math skills

[Create an Account]

From th article:
According to the study, an hour of time spent using the Internet reduces face-to-face contact with friends, co-workers and family by 23.5 minutes, lowers the amount of time spent watching television by 10 minutes and shortens sleep by 8.5 minutes.
Looks like a good way to gain about 18 minutes/hour...

Re:The Journal "Duh!"

[Golias]

What I wonder about is how the NYT survey would have counted people like me.

Last night, I was playing World of Warcraft while marathon-watching the Season 1 episodes of "Tru Calling" on DVD using the eMac that sits next to my game PC.

So, are multi-taskers like me counted as "on the Internet for five hours", "watching TV for five hours", or "both"?

If "both", then I managed to squeeze 10 man-hours of recreation into the time from 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM. Talk about productivity! w00t!

Re:Huh?

[nwbvt]

You've never had arguments over who should be in control of the remote, whether or not the sound is too loud or too soft, whether or not the person in control of the remote should flip back to the main program because the ads are probably about up, etc?

Re:Since when was watching TV "socializing"?

[XMyth]

Yea...it's strange like that. You can talk about a TV show, but when you try to talk to someone about a forum discussion they just look at you weird.

Or is it just me?

Re:Hot damn

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe its not a hug or kiss, but... http://www.fu-fme.com/

Having to do with pr0n

[Werrismys]

At least in finland porn is often called hydraulics. Fluids and pumping motion after all. Except in some japanese flicks.

Not So True

[Rie Beam]

I recently struck it up with a very nice man from Nigeria...

Re:Huh?

[Rick.C]

How is watching TV "socializing"?

I knocked on the front door at a friend's house once. The door opened and the whole family (minus the one who had answered the door) was sitting on or around the sofa watching TV. They were all just staring, zombie-like, at the screen.

It was so cute!

this assumes you have a social life to cut into

[SpecialAgentXXX]

you insensitive clod!

true

[Zareste]

Oh yeah, definitely. I'm way too busy talking to people in IMs, e-mails, message boards, chat rooms, and IRC, to socialize with anyone.

Haha!

[AmmielLoDebar]

1 hour 42 minutes instead of 2 hours? That's like just saying that internet users are smart enough to use their computers during all the commercial breaks.

Re:The Journal "Duh!"

[mother pussbucket]

I own a TV and its only use is DVD playback. No rabbit ears. No cable.

The hour a day at the gym with 10 sets tuned to 10 channels has done nothing to make me want to hook up either. God bless the iPod.

And since when has watching TV been considered "socializing"? Vegitating would be a better word.

Re:Whats a TV?

[Stormwatch]

A "TV" is the screen to which you plug videogame systems.

Private interest says NI

[elpapacito]

Maybe the researcher is confusing socialization with inprinting.

Communication medieval ages (before radio)

1. Hoardes watch church/political leader (talking head) say NI and they like it ! Hell yeah !
2. Hoardes start saying NI by imitative imprinting
3. NI NI NI NI NI NI !

Communication renaissance (after telephone)
1. Hoardes still do the above
2. But now they also use telephone and keep on saying NI NI NI NI !

Communication pre golden age (TV and radio )
1. Rich ones become talking heads (initial private and government TV)
2. NI NI NI (BUY) NI NI NI (VOTE ME)

Communication golden age (internet)
1. Much more people become talking heads !
2. NI NI NI (BUY) NO NO NO NO DON'T !
3 ????
4. Profit.

Massive jailarity chaos ensues, welcome to meme era. All your internet belongs to us.

Re:Not So True

[eclectro]

I recently struck it up with a very nice man from Nigeria...

That's great. The internets are not all bad. Lately I've been getting a lot of offers for hot dates!!