Loner Geeks or Someone with...Friends?

A new study supposedly shatters the 'geek' image of Internet users. CNN reports, "The typical Internet user -- far from being a geek -- shuns television and actively socializes with friends, a study on surfing habits said on Wednesday." This is a problem: Gothamist had been trying to fit in the stereotype of the supposed "loner geek," trapped in a world of role-playing and hyperlinking till dawn, shedding acquaitances and connections to the real world, thanks to Amazon, Netflix and Freshdirect. But according to UCLA's Center for Communications Policy director Jeffrey Cole, who led the study, "Use of the Internet is reducing television viewing around the world while having little impact on positive aspects of social life." Other interesting global facts from the study: Korean internet users trust the internet the most for information while Swedes are the most suspicious; the Chinese have an average of 7.7 online friends they've never met before, higher than any other country the study.

Read UCLA's topline of the World Internet Report. And an earlier study that reported people who use the Internet a lot are krazy.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts & Entertainment on January 16, 2004 12:26 PM

Comments [rss]

karatechimp

I think this Onion article is appropriate for this post.

http://theonion.com/4002/opinion1.html

jake

damn! i wish i had read this article last year, before i replaced all of my real friends with internet friends! oh cruel fate!

karen

it still amazes me that people get uptight about internet dating. it still has such a poor reputation, as if people who meet online and start dating are losers. i've dated a few people i met online and i ALWAYS encounter at least one person who says, "you met him *online*?! is he a total freak? are you sure that's safe!?"

people have been hooking up online for a while now. can we stop with those stupid comments already?! besides, i don't think internet dating is any more dangerous or weird than picking someone up at a bar. you're going to encounter great, date-worthy people AND losers wherever you go, online or offline.

Ellen

I am also an internet junkie, yet I have basic social skills (the abilities to bathe, to converse about something other than The SIMs Online, etc). However, lately when I have told people that I started a blog, they said "a what?" Even people under the age of 30 who use AIM for their main mode of communication. So maybe I'm a bit more dorky (dorkier?) than your average internet user.

pjh

sorry for my horrible use of punctuation and other grammatical tidbits...i guess it's freestlye punctuation day"../~

pjh

I'm confused....if being a geek involves being unusually passionate about something, which will inevitably involves some degreee of social awkwardness, then many of us are undoubtedly geeks....like "getting geeked up about this or that etc."....I therefore pose the question : "What is your definition of geek and how does it compare to that used in the article?"

Ash

Yes. I use the interweb and I have friends. In Canada. Really.

Also - does this picture accurately represent how computers are supposed to be used? Have I been doing it wrong? Would winXP work better in close proximity to an oven?