The New Town Hall: The Internet

For vast numbers of Americans, use of the Internet expands their social worlds and connects them more deeply to the place where they live.

1 minute read

November 3, 2001, 8:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


The Internet allows tens of millions of Americans to participate in a thriving social world where they enjoy serious and satisfying contact with online communities. Some 84% of Internet users have contacted an online group. That means that more Americans have used the Internet to contact a group than have gotten news online, or searched for health information, or bought a product... "The network of networks has become a collection of communities," said John Horrigan, senior researcher at the Pew Internet Project and principal author of the report. "Many actively engage in cyber groups through email and bulletin boards that are lively forums for sharing ideas, hashing out issues, and making new friends."

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