Web Insight: how does the internet affect contact with people who share your interests in hobbies or recreation?

One of the many benefits the internet has to offer is that it can increase contact between and among people who share hobbies or recreational activities.

How many people use the internet for this purpose?

The Center has asked this question in its Digital Future Survey since 2007.

In 2018, 56% of surveyed internet users said that the internet had not affected their contact with people who share their hobbies or recreational activities one way or the other. Only 1% said that the internet had greatly decreased and 3% said that it had somewhat decreased this contact.

On the other hand, 10% said that the internet had greatly increased and 29% said that it had somewhat increased their contact with people who share their hobbies or recreational activities.

The findings have been fairly consistent over the years, with the exception that fewer people have been saying that their contact has remained the same and more that their contact has been increasing somewhat.

In 2007, 69% said the internet had not influenced their contact one way or the other, compared with 56% in 2018. And in 2007, 17% said that the internet had somewhat increased their contact with people who share their hobbies or recreational activities, compared with 29% in 2018.

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September 30, 2019