Essay sources

1. Kiesler, S. ; Siegel, J. & McGuire, T. W. (1984) Computer-mediated communication is a key component of the emerging technology of computer networks. In networks, people can exchange, store, edit, broadcast, and copy any written document. They can send data and messages instantaneously, easily, at low cost, and over long distances.

2. Bargh, J. A. & McKenna, K. Y. A. (2004) On no issue has research on the social effects of the Internet been more contentious than as to its effect on close relationships, such as those with family and friends.

3. Kraut, R.; Patterson. M.; Lundmark, V.; Kiesler, S.; Mukopadhyay, T. & Scherlis, W. (1998)
a. People who used the Internet more subsequently reported larger increases in loneliness.
b. People who used the Internet more reported experiencing a greater number of daily life stressors in subsequent period.
c. For the purposes of this analysis, the important finding is that greater use of the Internet was associated with increased depression at a subsequent period.

4. Cummings, N. J.; Butler, B. & Kraut, R. (2002)
We briefly summarize evidence from several empirical studies, all of which suggest that computer-mediated communication, and in particular email, is less valuable for building and sustaining close social relationships than face-to-face contact and telephone conversation.

5. Cummings, N. J.; Butler, B. & Kraut, R. (2002) Respondents reported communication by email to be reliably worse than communication conducted face-to-face or by telephone, both for getting work done and for sustaining work