MOM 2006 journal for pdf.pmd - University of Michigan-Flint

As mentioned earlier, almost everyone surveyed uses the Internet to communicate via email,
which here is listed as the second most important item on the list. In third place is socializing via
web sites such as Facebook and MySpace. This middle ranking is consistent with that of the
55.3%, as shown in Table 1, who indicated that this type of activity was moderately important to
them.
The item ranked number four on the scale corresponds to the Internet’s ability to afford users a
certain level of anonymity. When asked if they preferred to communicate via the Internet, as
opposed to face-to-face contact, only a few men said yes. However, several others did state that
they liked the anonymity that the Internet provides; one man offered the reason that he found this
type of interaction “less intimidating.”
When responding to the same question, the majority of the women surveyed said that they did
not prefer the Internet, with several commenting that they find it “impersonal.” In addition,
several women did say that it depended on who they were talking to, but when it came to what
both genders identified as “important issues,” they both preferred face-to-face communication.
This, of course, is corroborated by the fact that romantic relationships is the last thing on the
scale shown in Table 4.
In addition to the items covered by Table 4, the other advantages of the Internet that people
mentioned included the ability to multi-task while online, the ease and affordability of
communicating over distances and, in one, the ability to think before responding.
Conclusion
Sample findings suggest that females find the Internet to be more beneficial and socially
linking than men, because it allows them to connect to friends, family, romantic partners and
others in online communities. Additionally, the females sampled recognize the Internet to
possess addictive properties that may draw people away from face-to-face communication.
In terms of Internet addiction or dependency, the actual data collect showed that an equal
number of males and females spend between three to five hours, or more, on the Internet per day.
However, when interviewed, more of the men sampled indicated that they spend excessive
amounts of time on the Internet, and equally interesting is the fact that only men mentioned that
being anonymous was something they appreciated about the Internet.
While I could speculate as to why these men answered this way, the instrument was not
specific enough to provide any reliable data concerning the reason behind their desire for
anonymity. Thus, one of the most important things that I learned while analyzing the data I did
collect, was that a survey, or instrument, needs to be specific, or focused, and the terms it
contains need to be as clear as possible. For example, in my Semantic Differential Scale the
terms “linking” and “connecting” are perhaps too similar, and may have confused some of those
who responded.
Another thing that I realized while processing the data was that the instrument was too focused
on Internet usage and lacked attention to participants’ face-to-face interactions. Most of the
questions that were asked pertained to the amount of time that respondents spent online, but
similar questions should have been developed to determine if this online activity had a negative
impact on face-to-face communication.
Meeting of Minds 2006 62