| Budget Amount *help |
¥9,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥9,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥2,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥4,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,700,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Although PCs and mobile phones are also common media to access to the Internet, less is known about how use of these technologies may be associated with network characteristics of these ties. Thus, we explore how different forms of computer mediated communication enhance different type of social networks. To explore this research question, we analyzed the longitudinal survey. Our first random sample survey of 1,320 adults was conducted in November, 2002, in Japan. Our second survey was conducted in 2003, and third survey was conducted in March 2005 for 1002 respondents who completed the first survey. We got the data of 432 respondents who completed both surveys.
The results show that more often people send PC mails they have more diverse social networks. On the other hand, mobile phones are not useful to enhance network diversity. This may be because mobile phones are not well suited to afford connections to sites where weak tie relationships may be formed, such as chat rooms and issue-
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oriented sites. In contrast, the results indicate that mobile phones are useful to maintain strong ties with people who provide social support. Finally, this study also shows that mobile phone internet use does not substitute for PC use. It would seem that these two technologies operate independently, each serving their own use for different relationship.
The results also show that people who access the Internet by PC are most active at gathering information related to social and political issues, and have relatively high levels of participation in politically oriented online communities. Moreover, these online activities facilitate participation in offline volunteer groups. In contrast, those who access the Internet through mobile phones are much less enthusiastic about online political participation, though mobile phones allow people the opportunity to maintain greater connectivity with their personal networks, by facilitating high levels of interpersonal communication. These results mean that if the usage of the Internet through PCs facilitates participation in online communities with diverse networks, then social trust and reciprocity fermented through use of Internet may enhance the level of civic engagement in everyday life. Less
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