The Internet in everyday life

[...]57% of men with access will be online compared with 52% of the women with access, and 56% of Whites compared with 36% of African Americans and 49% of Hispanics with access. [...]focusing on access alone masks continuing digital divide differences. Communities with high social capital, demonstrated and built through vibrant, face-to-face interaction in voluntary associations, provide a higher quality of life for their members (Kavanaugh & Patterson, 2001). [...]there are questions about whether the Internet has a positive or negative effect on individual well-being, relations with others, and social capital building within communities. [...]individuals who are highly socially connected, and likely within that set of connections to maintain higher numbers of stronger ties, are also more likely to be the ones adopting and using the Internet for communication and connectivity." Computing and the Internet also enter local communities through community network initiatives, as in Blacksburg, Virginia (Kavanaugh & Patterson, 2001), and the wired suburb near Toronto, Ontario (Hampton & Wellman, 2001). [...]influences from outside the home-work, school, and networking initiatives-precipitate access and use in the home.