(LAWN)BOWLING ALONE - VOLUNTEERISM,

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND THE INTERNET

Speech to Advance Kingscote, October 2007

Christopher Francis, Deputy CEO Kangaroo Island Council

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME HERE TONIGHT.

I WANT TO START WITH SOME AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. CAN I HAVE A

SHOW OF HANDS, AND PLEASE BE HONEST ABOUT THIS, HOW MANY OF
YOU HAD A FAMILY DINNER WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, LAST MONTH? HOW
ABOUT HAVING FRIENDS OVER IN THE LAST WEEK, THE LAST MONTH? NOW
WOULD IT SURPRISE YOU TO KNOW THAT THESE ACTIVITIES HAVE
DROPPED BY 43% AND 35% RESPECTIVELY ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS
IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

WHAT THEY ARE MEASURING IS SOCIAL CAPITAL.

SOCIAL CAPITAL

I THINK THAT IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE CATCH PHRASES OF
TODAY IS “SOCIAL CAPITAL”. LIKE “INFRASTRUCTURE” WE HEAR EVERYONE
FROM POLITICIANS TO PUBLICANS TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL CAPITAL.

FROM AN ACADEMIC VIEWPOINT, SOCIAL CAPITAL IS SOMETHING THAT CAN

BE IDENTIFIED AND MEASURED. FROM A PERSONAL VIEWPOINT IT IS
TANGIBLE AS A FEELING WE HAVE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR
COMMUNITY. TO PARAPHRASE THAT FAMOUS LINE FROM THE CASTLE, IT’S
THE VIBE.

RECENTLY I WAS IN ADELAIDE AND A TAXI DRIVER COMMENTED, WITHOUT

PROMPTING, HOW DIFFERENT LIFE WAS WHEN HE WAS YOUNG. PEOPLE
LEFT THE KEYS IN THE CAR, PEOPLE WERE POLITE, DRUGS AND

1
PORNOGRAPHY DIDN’T EXIST. OF COURSE THIS REMEMBRANCE OF
BYGONE DAYS IS INFUSED WITH SELECTIVITY. WE TEND TO FORGET THAT
CARS WERE STOLEN, PEOPLE WERE RUDE, PEOPLE TOOK DRUGS AND
PORNOGRAPHY WAS AVAILABLE.

HOWEVER, IN OTHER WAYS THIS REMEMBRANCE OF THE PAST CORRECTLY

REFLECTS SUBSTANTIAL SOCIAL CHANGE. THE SENSE OF BEING A
COMMUNITY, OF SELF-RELIANCE AND OF TRUSTING YOUR NEIGHBOUR WAS
EXPRESSED THROUGH VIBRANT SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
SUCH AS THE SATURDAY NIGHT DANCE, THE BOWLS CLUB AND THE
WORKING BEE. BUT THIS HAS CHANGED.

IN 2000, THE AMERICAN ACADEMIC, ROBERT PUTNAM PUT TO PAPER THE

DIMENSIONS OF THIS CHANGE IN HIS BOOK, BOWLING ALONE - THE
COLLAPSE AND REVIVAL OF THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY - HENCE MY
ADAPTATION FOR AN AUSTRALIAN AUDIENCE FOR WHOM BOWLING MEANS
LAWNS BOWLS.

AS PUTNAM HIMSELF EXPLAINED, HIS BOOK WAS ABOUT THE COURSE OF

CIVIC SOCIETY IN AMERICA AND A CENTRAL IDEA WAS THAT OF SOCIAL
CAPITAL. IN SHORT, SOCIAL CAPITAL STATES THAT SOCIAL NETWORKS AND
SOCIAL CONTACT (THE TIES THAT BIND PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A
COMMUNITY), HAVE VALUE. IT EMBODIES GOOD WILL, TRUST, FELLOWSHIP,
SOCIAL EMPATHY, VOLUNTEERISM, ALTRUISM, CO-OPERATION.

SOCIAL CAPITAL REFERS TO THE COLLECTIVE VALUE OF ALL "SOCIAL

NETWORKS" [WHO PEOPLE KNOW] AND THE INCLINATIONS THAT ARISE
FROM THESE NETWORKS TO DO THINGS FOR EACH OTHER ["NORMS OF
RECIPROCITY"].

SOCIAL CAPITAL IS NOT INTANGIBLE. PUTNAM AND OTHER RESEARCHERS

HAVE IDENTIFIED AND EVEN MEASURED A WIDE VARIETY OF QUITE
SPECIFIC BENEFITS THAT FLOW FROM THE TRUST, RECIPROCITY,
INFORMATION, AND COOPERATION ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL NETWORKS.

2
SOCIAL CAPITAL CREATES VALUE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONNECTED
AND SOMETIMES FOR ONLOOKERS AS WELL.

SOCIAL CAPITAL WORKS THROUGH DIFFERENT CHANNELS, SUCH AS:

• THE QUALITY AND EXTENT OF INFORMATION EACH OF US CAN

ACCESS DEPENDS ON SOCIAL CAPITAL.

• NORMS OF RECIPROCITY (MUTUAL AID) RELY ON SOCIAL NETWORKS.

BONDING NETWORKS THAT CONNECT PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR
INTERESTS SUSTAIN RECIPROCITY WITHIN THOSE GROUPS.
BRIDGING NETWORKS THAT CONNECT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
DIVERSE SUSTAIN GENERALIZED RECIPROCITY. WE ARE SURPRISED
AND STRANGELY COMFORTED BY THE FACT THAT PEOPLE “CHIP IN”
WHEN THERE IS A DISASTER, BUT BEMOAN THE FACT THAT IT IS
IMPOSSIBLE TO GET PEOPLE INTERESTED IN CLEANING UP THE
LOCAL PARK OR DELIVERING MEALS ON WHEELS.

• COLLECTIVE ACTION DEPENDS UPON SOCIAL NETWORKS AND CAN

FOSTER NEW NETWORKS. THE CURRENT FURORE OVER THE GUNNS
PAPER MILL PROJECT HAS GALVANISED DISPARATE GROUPS
(GREENS, BUSINESS, THOSE OF BOTH THE POLITICAL LEFT AND
RIGHT) TO CONNECT FOR A COMMON CAUSE. NO DOUBT THIS
CONCERTED COLLECTIVE ACTION COULD HAVE REPERCUSSIONS
HAVE OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE ISSUE AT HAND, ESPECIALLY IF MR
COUSINS DEFEATS MR TURNBULL IN THE FORTHCOMING ELECTION.

• BROADER IDENTITIES AND SOLIDARITY ARE ENCOURAGED BY SOCIAL

NETWORKS THAT HELP TRANSLATE AN "I" MENTALITY INTO A "WE"
MENTALITY.

• THE FOOTY CLUB HAS BEEN THE MAINSTAY OF MOST AUSTRALIAN

TOWNS, BUT WITH CHANGES TO REGIONAL AND RURAL AUSTRALIA,

3
 THE DECLINE IN POPULATION HAS LED TO TOWNS DYING WITH OFTEN
THE FIRST SIGN BEING THE FAILURE TO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO
FORM A FOOTY TEAM.

PUTNAM WAS NOT THE FIRST WRITER TO USE THE TERM BUT HE AMASSED
AN ARRAY OF SPECIFIC DATA THAT PRESENTED HIS CASE FORCEFULLY.
FOR EXAMPLE,

• JOINING AND PARTICIPATING IN ONE GROUP CUTS IN HALF YOUR

ODDS OF DYING NEXT YEAR.

• EVERY TEN MINUTES OF COMMUTING REDUCES ALL FORMS OF

SOCIAL CAPITAL BY 10%.

• WATCHING COMMERCIAL ENTERTAINMENT TV IS THE ONLY LEISURE

ACTIVITY WHERE DOING MORE OF IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER
SOCIAL CAPITAL.

NOW, ANY ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL ARE WORTHY OF

OUR ATTENTION, BUT TONIGHT I WANT TO FOCUS ON ONE THEME PUTNAM
DEVELOPED, THAT OF VOLUNTEERISM.

VOLUNTEERISM

NOW, ANOTHER QUESTION. BASED ON THE 2006 CENSUS, WHAT

PROPORTION OF PERSONS OVER THE AGE OF 15 STATED THAT THEY HAD
UNDERTAKEN VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY IN THE PRIOR TWELVE MONTHS IN
SOUTH AUSTRALIA, IN THE CITY OF SALISBURY, ON KANGAROO ISLAND?

AS REPORTED BY THE ABS, THE REPORTED LEVEL OF VOLUNTEERISM IN

SOUTH AUSTRALIA WAS 16.6%, IN SALISBURY IT WAS 12.19% AND ON
KANGAROO ISLAND IT WAS 38.80%. HOW DOES THIS COMPARE NATIONALLY
AND OVER TIME?

4
BACK IN 1999 IT WAS REPORTED THAT 19% OF AUSTRALIANS
VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND ONLY 12% IN SYDNEY. THE 2001 CENSUS
DID NOT REQUEST INFORMATION ON VOLUNTEERISM SO OUR FIGURES ARE
FROM THE 2006 CENSUS. THIS DATA IS NOT ENCOURAGING. NATIONALLY,
VOLUNTEERISM HAD DROPPED TO 17.91%, BUT IN SYDNEY IT HAD RISEN
SLIGHTLY TO 14.8%. WHO SAYS SYDNEYSIDERS ARE COLD-HEARTED?

OF GREATER INTEREST IS THE FACT THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES WITH THE

HIGHEST LEVEL OF REPORTED VOLUNTEERISM WERE ALSO WITH THE
LOWEST POPULATIONS, A TREND PUTNAM CONFIRMED IN HIS OWN WORK.

IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA, FOR EXAMPLE:

KIMBA 51.10% 1,166

CLEVE 49.89% 1,885
ELLISTON 48.22% 1,143
ORROROO/CARRIETON 44.16% 950
LE HUNTE 42.52% 1,391
SOUTHERN MALLEE 42.23% 2,197
NORTHERN AREAS 41.69% 4,628
FRANKLIN HARBOUR 41.17% 1,324
TUMBY BAY 40.87% 2,685
MT REMARKABLE 40.38% 2,837
KAROONDA EAST MURRAY 39.49% 1,168

SMALL COMMUNITIES, PERHAPS BY DINT OF NECESSITY, FOSTER SOCIAL

CAPITAL. IF YOU DON’T BELONG TO THE CFS, OR THE CWA, OR THE LIONS,
THE COMMUNITY DIES. THERE IS ALSO A CASE TO BE MADE THAT SMALL
COMMUNITIES ARE NORMALLY REMOTE COMMUNITIES AND THE LEVEL OF
AMENITY IS DRAMATICALLY LESS THAN TO BE FOUND IN REGIONAL AND
URBAN CENTRES. WITH RESPECT TO KANGAROO ISLAND, I HAVE BEEN
TOLD ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS – BY NO LESS THAN THE MAYOR – THAT
THERE IS A TRADITION OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY HERE, AND I THINK THIS
ATTITUDE STRONGLY SUPPORTS VOLUNTEERISM.

5
PUTNAM NOTICED THAT VOLUNTEERISM HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED
AMONGST OLDER PEOPLE AND HAD SHIFTED FROM COMMUNITY PROJECTS
TO ONE-ON-ONE ACTIVITIES. IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE, FOR EXAMPLE, AS A
COUNSELOR WITH LIFELINE WE HAVE A REGULAR TURN-OVER OF PEOPLE
(A HIGH PROPORTION OF WHICH ARE UNIVERSITY PSYCHOLOGY
STUDENTS). I SUSPECT THAT MOST OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO
THE ONE ON ONE NATURE OF COUNSELING, AS DISTINCT FROM THE
WORKING BEE OR CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY.

I DO WANT TO MAKE MENTION HERE, IN MY CAPACITY AS A

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COUNCIL, OF THE ROLE OF VOLUNTEERISM IN
LOCAL GOVERNMENT. HERE ON KANGAROO ISLAND, WE HAVE PROGRESS
ASSOCIATIONS SUCH AS ADVANCE KINGSCOTE AND GROUPS SUCH AS THE
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY. THESE VOLUNTEER GROUPS PICK UP A LOT OF
WORK THAT WOULD OTHERWISE NOT BE DONE BY KANGAROO ISLAND
COUNCIL. ELSEWHERE, IN BALLARAT WHERE I WORKED FOR SOME TIME,
WE HAD ACTIVE VOLUNTEER GROUPS WHO WORKED IN BALLARAT’S
FAMOUS BOTANIC GARDENS AND AT HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

THE INTERNET

NOW, THE LAST PIECE OF TONIGHT’S PUZZLE IS HOW THE INTERNET IS

RELATED TO THE AFOREMENTIONED. I’LL START BY REPORTING PUTNAM’S
OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE TELEPHONE. IT MIGHT COME
AS LITTLE SURPRISE THAT THE TELEPHONE HAS REDUCED ISOLATION AND
LONELINESS AND AT THE SAME TIME REDUCED FACE-TO-FACE
SOCIALIZING. AT THE SAME TIME RESEARCH BY TELEPHONE COMPANIES
HAS SHOWN THAT UP TO 50% OF ALL CALLS ARE MADE WITHIN THE
CALLER’S NEIGHBOURHOOD, THUS EFFECTIVELY REINFORCING EXISTING
LOCAL TIES. WE USUALLY DON’T MAKE NEW FRIENDS ON THE TELEPHONE.

6
EVEN THE MIGRANT EXPERIENCE CONFIRMS THAT THE TELEPHONE
MAINTAINS EXISTING FAMILY CONNECTIONS. WHO REMEMBERS THE
HEART-WRENCHING TELEVISION ADS WITH MIGRANTS TALKING TO LOVED-
ONES OVERSEAS? PEOPLE WEREN’T RINGING STRANGERS IN GREECE.

IN MY VIEW THE ENORMOUS GROWTH IN MOBILE TELEPHONY WILL NOT

CHANGE THIS TREND, DESPITE THE INCREASED INTEGRATION OF
TELEPHONY WITH COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET. I DON’T KNOW HOW
MANY OF YOU WATCHED KATH AND KIM LAST NIGHT, BUT IT DELIGHTFULLY
HIGHLIGHTED THIS TECHNOLOGICAL TREND WITH KATH COMPLAINING
ABOUT KEL LOSING INTEREST IN HER BECAUSE OF HIS PASSION FOR HIS
MOBILE AND HIS BLACKBERRY.

SO WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT THE INTERNET AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIAL
CAPITAL AND VOLUNTEERISM?

THE FIRST THING IS THAT, WHEREAS THE TELEPHONE IS A PERSONAL

FORM OF COMMUNICATION AND THE PERSONAL COMPUTER WAS WHEN IT
ENTERED THE MARKET, THE RISE OF THE INTERNET IS, BY ITS VERY
NATURE, A WORLD OF MASS ELECTRONIC INTERACTION. ALTHOUGH EVERY
USER HAS A UNIQUE IDENTIFIER, AN IP OR INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESS,
EVERY USER BECOMES PART OF THE ON-LINE COMMUNITY IN ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER, INTERACTING AND CONNECTED WITH MILLIONS OF OTHER
USERS THROUGH A VARIETY OF FORA, SUCH AS CHAT-ROOMS, ON-LINE
GAMING AND ON-LINE COMMUNITIES.

UNDOUBTEDLY, THE INTERNET HAS TRANSFORMED THE WAY PEOPLE

ACCESS INFORMATION, DO BUSINESS AND SOCIALIZE. AND, UNDOUBTEDLY,
THE INTERNET HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON SOCIAL CAPITAL AND
VOLUNTEERISM BUT WHAT IS IT? I ACKNOWLEDGE PUTNAM’S CAVEAT,
“[VERY] FEW THINGS CAN YET BE SAID WITH ANY CONFIDENCE ABOUT THE
CONNECTION BETWEEN SOCIAL CAPITAL AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGY”;
BUT ADD THAT HE WAS WRITING IN 2000.

7
WHILST IT IS TRUE THAT THE INTERNET DID NOT CAUSE THE DECLINE IN
SOCIAL CAPITAL OF WHICH PUTNAM WRITES, IT IS HAVING AND CAN HAVE A
PROFOUND EFFECT ON THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL CAPITAL. AND THIS BRINGS
ME TO MY FINAL POINT.

PUTNAM WAS, TO SOME DEGREE, UNAWARE OF THE CAPACITY OF THE

INTERNET TO EVOLVE FROM AN ESSENTIALLY PASSIVE EXPERIENCE
(INFORMATION GATHERING AND SHARING) TO AN ACTIVE COLLABORATION
BETWEEN USERS THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ON-LINE TECHNOLOGY. SOME
COMMENTATORS REFER TO THIS AS WEB 2.0 AND DESCRIBE IT AS AIMING
TO FACILITATE COLLABORATION AND SHARING BETWEEN USERS. IT HAS
BEEN HAILED AS THE DEMOCRATICIZATION OF THE WEB AND OF
KNOWLEDGE ITSELF, IN WHICH EVERYONE CAN JOIN IN, EVERYONE CAN
PUBLISH, EVERYONE HAS A WEB/LOG (BLOG). IT HAS ALSO BEEN HAILED BY
CRITICS, SUCH AS ANDREW KEEN IN HIS POLEMIC, THE CULT OF THE
AMATEUR, AS THE START OF THE DUMBING DOWN OF SOCIETY AND THE
DECLINE OF THE PROFESSIONAL. IF EVERYONE’S OPINION IS WORTH THE
SAME, THEN NO-ONE’S OPINION IS WORTH ANYTHING.

IN ITSELF, THE INTERNET AS IT EXISTS TODAY CAN BE A GREAT BOON TO

REMOTE COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING ACCESS AND SERVICES PREVIOUSLY
UNOBTAINABLE. IT CAN ALSO EXACERBATE THE TREND TOWARDS
INDIVIDUALISM AND WITHDRAWAL FROM SOCIAL INTERACTION.

ONE OF THE TRENDS THAT I BELIEVE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LESSEN

SOCIAL CAPITAL IS THE GROWTH OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES IN WHICH
PEOPLE ADOPT WHAT IS CALLED AN AVATAR AND THEY PLAY OUT A
VIRTUAL LIFE AS A MEMBER OF A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY.

ONE SUCH COMMUNITY IS SECOND LIFE, WHICH STARTED IN 2003.

THROUGH SOFTWARE USERS, CALLED "RESIDENTS", INTERACT WITH EACH
OTHER THROUGH AVATARS (3D IMAGES CONTROLLED BY THE USER FROM
THEIR PERSONAL COMPUTER). RESIDENTS CAN EXPLORE, MEET OTHER
RESIDENTS, SOCIALIZE, PARTICIPATE IN INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP

8
ACTIVITIES, CREATE AND TRADE ITEMS AND SERVICES FROM ONE
ANOTHER. ALL THIS TAKES PLACE IN A UNIVERSE CREATED FOR THAT
PURPOSE.

BY ADOPTING AN AVATAR A USER INTERACTS IN AN ON-LINE COMMUNITY IN

A WAY THAT IS NOT A ALTERNATIVE TO THE REAL WORLD (AS WOULD BE
THE CASE WITH STRICTLY FANTASY-BASED GAMES OF SUPER-HEROES,
DEMONS AND WARRIORS), BUT IS USER-DEFINED WORLD OF GENERAL USE
IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN INTERACT, PLAY, DO BUSINESS USING VIRTUAL
CURRENCY BOUGHT FROM THE GAME’S OWNERS IN REAL WORLD
DOLLARS, AND OTHERWISE COMMUNICATE. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY
PEOPLE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES, BUT FOR
SECOND LIFE IT IS KNOWN TO BE MORE THAN NINE MILLION AND GROWING.

IS THIS A GAME? IT DOES NOT HAVE POINTS, SCORES, WINNERS OR

LOSERS, LEVELS, AN END-STRATEGY, OR MOST OF THE OTHER
CHARACTERISTICS OF GAMES. HOWEVER, IT IS A SEMI-STRUCTURED
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE CHARACTERS UNDERTAKE ACTIVITIES FOR
THE PURPOSE OF PERSONAL ENJOYMENT.

THE PROBLEM WITH VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES IS THAT THEY EVOLVE JUST AS

THE REAL WORLD DOES AND I VENTURE TO SAY THAT ALL OF YOU WOULD
BE ALARMED TO KNOW THAT THESE COMMUNITIES EXHIBIT ANTI-SOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR (EG VANDALISM, MURDER, RAPE) AND THE DESIRE TO BEHAVE
ANTI-SOCIALLY.

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES HAVE RESPONDED TO THESE THREATS TO THEIR

INTEGRITY AND TO THEIR SUSTAINABILITY (WHO WANTS TO PLAY A GAME
IN WHICH THEY ARE KILLED, MOLESTED AND ATTACKED?) BY BEING
FORCED TO ADDRESS RULES OF CONDUCT MUCH LIKE IN THE REAL
WORLD.

9
IN TERMS OF THE EFFECT OF THE INTERNET ON SOCIAL CAPITAL, I CAN SEE
A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEMBERS OF A CLUB WHO INTERACT ON-
LINE BECAUSE OF A COMMON INTEREST AND PEOPLE CHOOSING TO
CREATE A VIRTUAL OTHER AND THEN INTERACT WITH OTHERS OUTSIDE
THEIR ACTUAL COMMUNITY.

OF COURSE, THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY STREAM OF CRITICISM ABOUT

THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY ON FAMILY LIFE, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
AND SOCIAL CAPITAL FOR MANY YEARS. CURIOUSLY, WHEREAS THE RADIO
AND THE TELEVISION WERE ONCE REGARDED AS FOCI FOR THE FAMILY
UNIT, THE PERSONAL COMPUTER AND THE HAND-HELD MICRO-COMPUTER
(EG GAMEBOY) WERE CLEARLY MARKED OUT AS BEING ANTI-SOCIAL AND
ASSOCIATED WITH WITHDRAWAL FROM “NORMAL LIFE”. THIS CRITICISM
INTENSIFIED AS THE INTERNET BLOSSOMED AS A CHEAP AND EASY MEANS
OF ACCESSING PORNOGRAPHY, ONLINE GAMBLING AND VARIOUS STRAINS
OF RACISM, SEXISM AND NONSENSE.

TIME AND AGAIN THE INTERNET HAS BEEN CRITICIZED, MOST RECENTLY BY
KEEN, AS PROMOTING NOT JUST AN UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE BUT ACTUALLY
ENABLING THE BREAKDOWN OF THE ESTABLISHED MORES AND FABRIC OF
THE REAL WORLD.

RETURNING TO THE THEME OF TONIGHT’S TALK, I ASK: IF PEOPLE ARE

CHOOSING TO ESTABLISH VIRTUAL LIVES WHICH EXIST IN VIRTUAL
COMMUNITIES, WHAT CAN BE THE EFFECT ON THEIR WILLINGNESS TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE REAL WORLD, TO NOT ONLY MAINTAIN NORMAL
SOCIAL NETWORKS, BUT TO SET ASIDE TIME TO VOLUNTEER?

I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT OFFER THESE THOUGHTS.

10
PUTNAM WAS PARTICULARLY CRITICAL OF THE ROLE OF TELEVISION
ENTERTAINMENT (NOT NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS) AS A FACTOR IN THE
DECLINE IN SOCIAL CAPITAL. HIS RESEARCH CONCLUDED THAT NOTHING
CORRELATES MORE STRONGLY TO CIVIC DISENGAGEMENT THAN
DEPENDENCE ON TELEVISION.

WHAT HE DID NOT FORESEE WAS THE INTERNET’S CAPACITY TO

PERSONALIZE ENTERTAINMENT, ITS CAPACITY TO CREATE A TAILORED
ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOU IN WHICH YOU CAN ACCESS ONLY THAT WHICH
YOU LIKE. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD ONLY THOSE ASPECTS OF THE WORLD
THAT YOU WANT – MUSIC, MOVIES, EVEN NEWS. INSTEAD OF BRINGING THE
VIETNAM AND GULF WARS TO US ON TELEVISION, WE CAN EDIT OUT THIS
NASTY STUFF BY DOWNLOADING WHACKY NEWS STORIES AND TRIVIA.

RELATED TO THIS IS THE TREND TOWARDS TELEVISION WATCHING BEING

REPLACED BY INTERNET ACTIVITY.

A 2006 STUDY REVEALED THAT UK INTERNET USERS SPENT AN AVERAGE

OF 164 MINUTES PER DAY OR 41 DAYS PER YEAR ONLINE COMPARED TO TV
WHERE USERS SPEND AN AVERAGE OF 148 MINUTES PER DAY OR 38 DAYS
PER YEAR.

FURTHERMORE, ACCORDING TO THE STANFORD INSTITUTE FOR THE

QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF SOCIETY, NOT ONLY IS TELEVISION WATCHING
DECLINING, BUT THE INTERNET FOSTERS PHYSICAL ISOLATION, AND AN
HOUR OF TIME ON THE INTERNET REDUCED FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT WITH
PEOPLE BY 23.5 MINUTES, REDUCED THE TIME WATCHING TELEVISION BY
10 MINUTES AND REDUCED SLEEP BY 8.5 MINUTES.

WHILST THE INTERNET IS ENTERTAINING, ITS ADVOCATES ALSO CLAIM

THAT IT OFFERS MORE THAN JUST ENTERTAINMENT. IT OFFERS MEANING
THROUGH ITS ABILITY TO CONNECT US TO OTHERS. LOOK AT THE
SUCCESS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND ONLINE DATING SERVICES.
DOESN’T THIS OFFER MORE CHOICE AND LESS PROBLEMS THAN A NIGHT

11
OUT TRAWLING THE SINGLES BARS? CAN’T WE HAVE MEANINGFUL SOCIAL
INTERACTION IN CYBERSPACE IN OUR VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES? NO.

VIRTUAL LIFE DOES NOT OFFER TRUE HUMAN EXPERIENCE – NO MATTER

HOW REAL ITS ADVOCATES AND DEVELOPERS WISH IT TO BE AND WORK
TOWARDS MAKING IT SO. VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES OFFER DISTRACTION BUT
I AM SURE THAT PEOPLE CANNOT BE ENGAGED BY SUCH DISTRACTIONS
FOR LONG BEFORE THEY DECIDE, THAT’S IT, I’M OVER IT.

HUMAN BEINGS WASTE A LOT OF THEIR LIVES PURSUING NON-MEANINGFUL

ACTIVITY, THAT IS, ACTIVITY THAT NEITHER MAKES THEM HAPPY NOR
SUSTAINS THEM AGAINST LIFE. I BELIEVE THAT ULTIMATELY WE BECOME
DIS-SATISFIED WITH THESE SUPERFICIAL PLEASURES AND DISTRACTIONS
AND YEAR FOR MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES. BUT THAT IS A SUBJECT FOR
ANOTHER DAY.

ULTIMATELY, A PROPORTION OF THOSE PEOPLE CURRENTLY DEVOTING A

SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PERSONAL TIME TO THEIR VIRTUAL LIVES MIGHT
REALIZE THAT A MORE ROBUST AND DEEPER EXPERIENCE AWAITS THEM
FROM CONTACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE.

PERHAPS LIVING IN A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY WILL ALSO HAVE A POSITIVE

EFFECT ON THE USERS’ LEVEL OF INTEREST IN AFFECTING THE REAL
WORLD. IF I CAN CHANGE A VIRTUAL WORLD, THEN MAYBE I CAN DO
SOMETHING ABOUT THE WORLD I AM IN FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. PERHAPS
THOSE EXPERIENCES WILL HAVE MORE BENEFIT THAN ALL THE CIVICS
CLASSES AND TALKS GIVEN TO CHILDREN AT SCHOOL. IT COULD BE A
LEARNING TOOL THAT ASSISTS CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND THE SOCIAL
CONTRACT AND THE LIMITS OF SELF-CENTREDNESS.

IT MIGHT BE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE LITTLE APPRECIATION OF THE

DIFFICULTIES OF NEGOTIATING THE REAL WORLD WILL BEGIN TO
UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OF CIVIL DISCOURSE (EG ATTENDING A

12
MEETING OR RALLY, VOTING, WRITING TO THE NEWSPAPER AND
POLITICIANS) AND THEN SEE THAT IT IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT.

IN CONCLUSION, I WANT TO REMIND ALL OF YOU HERE THAT THE TIME YOU
SPEND VOLUNTEERING IS NOT INVALUABLE. IT HAS CONSIDERABLE VALUE.
WHETHER THE INTERNET WILL ASSIST OR HINDER YOUR EFFORTS AND
THOSE OF OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS IS, AT LEAST NOW, UNKNOWN.
HOWEVER, I HOPE THAT I HAVE GIVEN YOU MORE THAN MORAL SUPPORT. I
HOPE THAT I HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT YOU PERFORM A CRITICAL
ACTIVITY IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THAT YOUR EFFORTS WILL LARGELY GO
UNREWARDED, PERHAPS NOTABLY BY THOSE AT HOME WATCHING
TELEVISION OR ON THE INTERNET.

13