Causes and Consequences of Social Interaction on the Internet: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract Increasingly, people are connecting to the Internet from their homes in order to interact with others. This article discusses research on Internet social interaction in terms of the following questions: What predicts who will look for and form social relationships on the Internet and who won't? How do people present themselves to others over the Internet? How is social interaction on the Internet similar and different from the more traditional forms of interaction? And what are the consequences of participating in Internet groups and interacting with others one-on-one for the individual's self concept and social relationships? The conceptual framework offered here organizes research on the social psychology of the Internet into three time phases (before, during, and after extensive social interactions and group participation) and two distinct types of motivations that drive Internet social behavior (self-related and socially related). After a review of the research on these issues so far we conclude that there is an abundance of interacting going on out there in cyberspace, and it is having surprisingly strong effects on people's "real life."