The internet helps maintain people’s social networks, and connects them to members of their social network when they need help. 60 million Americans have turned to the internet for help with major life decisions.
Amanda Lenhart joins Talk of the Nation with guests danah boyd and Parry Aftab in a series of interviews on the phenomenon of the popular social networking website Myspace.com.
This report examines how institutions in five cities (Austin, Texas; Cleveland, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C.) are adapting to the Internet as an economic development and community-building tool. The experiences in these communities suggests that the Internet is best used to encourage bottom-up initiatives, encourage and nurture catalytic individuals in communities, encourage public funding for technology programs, encourage “bridging” among groups, and encourage experimentation.