Impact of Internet on Social Connections in Family System: A SurveyStudy of Residents in Lahore

Abstract

This study explores the “Impact of internet on the social capital and relations” through survey using questionnaire as a tool of data collection. Finding of the study revealed that 40% respondents reported that it results in less emotional bonding among real life relations because people concentrate more on virtual ties. 40% respondents said that due to internet usage their reliance on electronic medium increases. 73% respondents agree that they use the internet to know new people, as it helps the users to increase their online social capital. Among respondents 59% people agree that they use the internet to renew online contacts with old friends. Whereas only 25% respondents strongly agree they use the internet to intensify online contacts with their relatives. It targeted 440 respondents and got response from 400 (200 male, 200 female) having demographic characteristics like, age, gender, education and income of respondents. For age the researcher has selected youth (20-25 y) and middle aged (30-40 y) sample is selected, for status, students and professionals/teachers sample is selected, for gender, the researcher has selected female and male, and for income, low, middle and high income sample has been selected and lastly for education, both IT educated and Non- IT educated sample has been selected. The key variables of hypothesis were” Impact of internet on relations with social capital, Impact of internet on the face to face communication, Impact of internet on virtual ties”. For this study, impact of internet has been operationalized into several dependent and independent variables.