There is a great concern that over the last twenty years the size and diversity of Americans’ core networks have declined; that core networks are increasingly centered on a small set of relatively similar social ties at the expense of larger more diverse networks. Is there evidence to suggest that newer information and communications technologies (ICTs) such as the internet and mobile phone are responsible for a trend toward social isolation?

What is associated with the size of discussion networks?

Those people with whom we discuss “important matters” are our core discussion network. The Pew Internet Personal Networks and Community survey found that the average American has about two discussion confidants (1.93), which is similar to the mean of 2.06 from the 2004 GSS (Table 1a). However, the Pew Internet survey found that a much smaller proportion of the population reported having no discussion partners than the 2004 GSS survey: The Pew Internet survey found that 12.0% of Americans have no discussion partners, compared to the 22.5% recorded in the 2004 GSS. Our findings also show that the modal respondent – the most common response – lists one confidant, not zero, as was found in the 2004 GSS analysis.

Our findings suggest that social isolation may not have increased over the past twenty years. Our finding that only 12.0% of Americans have no discussion partners is relatively close to the 8.1% that was found in the 1985 GSS (Table 1a), so the number of Americans who are truly isolated has not notably changed. At the same time, the Pew Internet survey supports the GSS evidence that the average number of discussion partners Americans have is smaller now than it was in the past. Our data indicate that the average American has 1.93 discussion partners, a figure similar to the 2.06 found in the 2004 GSS, and a full one tie smaller than the 2.98 found in 1985.

ICT users do not suffer from a deficit of discussion partners.

When the Pew Internet Personal Networks and Community survey was conducted (July 9-August 10, 2008), 77% of the U.S. adult population used the internet, and 82% owned a mobile phone. Contrary to concerns that use of ICTs may be associated with an absence of confidants, no evidence was found that internet users have smaller discussion networks. Instead, our data indicate that, on average, internet and mobile phone users appear to be less likely to have no confidants and tend to have more people with whom they discuss important matters.

• 12% of all Americans report no discussion partners, but only 10% of internet users and 11% of mobile phone users have no discussion ties.
• 30% of the American population has discussion networks of three or more people compared to 34% of internet and 32% of mobile phone users.

Mobile phone use, and use of the internet for sharing digital photos, and for instant messaging are associated with larger discussion networks.

There is considerable variation across people in terms of their demographic characteristics, and in how they use ICTs. Regression analysis is a statistical technique that allows us to identify what specific characteristics are positively or negatively associated with an outcome, such as the number of discussion ties. To be sure that the relationship we have identified cannot be explained by other factors, and so that we can look at different types of online activity, we use regression to identify the statistically significant factors that are associated with the size of core discussion networks.⁷ The results of this regression analysis, listed in Appendix D: Regression Tables as Table 1, show that a number of demographic factors are independently linked with the size of discussion networks. Consistent with prior research [12, 13], the Pew Internet study revealed the following:

• Education attainment is associated with having a larger number of people with whom one can discuss important things. The more formal schooling people have, the bigger their networks. For example, compared to a high school diploma, an undergraduate degree is associated with approximately 14% additional discussion partners.
• Those who are a race other than white or African-American have significantly smaller discussion networks; about 14% smaller.
• Women have about 13% more discussion ties than their male counterparts. 

Regression analysis also confirmed the relationship between ICT use and core discussion networks while identifying specific types of technology use that are positively associated with the number of discussion partners.

» Those who own a mobile phone average 12% more confidants.

» Simply having access to the internet, as well as frequency of internet use has no impact on core discussion network size, what matters is what people do online.

• Uploading photos online to share with others is associated with having 9% more confidants.
• Those who use instant messaging have 9% additional confidants.
• Other activities, such as using a social networking service (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace) or maintaining an online journal or blog have no relationship to the number of confidants.

Example: An average white or African-American, female with an undergraduate university degree, who has a mobile phone, uses the internet to share photos by uploading them to the internet, and uses instant messaging has 2.55 confidants. This compares to 1.91 ties for an average woman of the same race and education who does not upload photos online, use instant messaging, or own a mobile phone. In this example, use of ICTs is associated with a core discussion network that is 34% larger.

Not only is internet and mobile phone use not associated with having fewer confidants, but the compound influence of ICT use has a very strong relationship to the size of core discussion networks in comparison to other important demographic, such as race, gender, and education. In other words, ICT use can have a relatively big effect on the size of people’s core networks.