The Development of the Internet in Everyday Life in America

Internet technology has the potential to affect various aspects of an individual’s life, from time allocation to mental well-being. However, discussions about the Internet’s effect on the individual often devolve into simplistic “good” versus “bad” debates, with little attention paid to the nuances of the medium and its effects. In previous work (Nie/ Erbring 2002; Hillygus 2002a; Nie/Hillygus 2002b; Nie/ Hillygus/ Erbring 2003), we have made an effort to move beyond this debate, focusing instead on the effects of Internet use at different times and different places on face-to-face interaction. In this chapter, we assess the current state of the continuing debate, taking into account the maturation of the Internet as a technology and the growing and changing group of Internet users.