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Good Bloggers Make Good Neighbors, New Survey Shows

Back in the day, it was assumed that heavy Internet geeks were a bunch  
of basement-dwelling, trenchcoat-wearing, socially maladjusted  
introverts.

However, a new study from the Pew Internet Project shows that geeks,  
including IM users and bloggers, are more likely to help neighbors,  
get out of the house, volunteer, and behave as upstanding members of  
their IRL communities.

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One of the most interesting findings of the study completely  
neutralizes the stereotype of the antisocial tech geek. "Mobile phone  
use, internet use, frequency of use, or participating in social  
networking services, blogging, photo sharing, or instant messaging,  
was found to have no relationship with the likelihood of face-to-face  
contact with neighbors." That is, Internet geeks are as likely to know  
and speak to their neighbors as are non-geeks. Factors such as age,  
marital/cohabitation status, and gender have a much greater impact on  
local social activity, actually.

And although the study found that Internet users were less likely to  
rely on neighbors for help, its finding also tell us that frequent or  
dedicated Internet users are a mighty friendly and helpful bunch when  
it comes to giving support to neighbors. Bloggers are almost 80  
percent more likely to do small favors for their neighbors than other  
groups, and they're 84 percent more likely to help a neighbor care for  
a family member, e.g., offer babysitting help. And while Internet  
users, including photo-sharing folks and IM fans, are more likely  
across the board to help and hang out with people in their  
neighborhood, the study also showed that Internet users are almost 50  
less likely to lend neighbors money. Insert a pun about teaching a man  
to phish here.

Folks who use sites such as BuildingBulletins or NeighborGoods to  
connect with people who live near them are also more likely to engage  
with their community, especially in terms of actively discussing  
community issues, listening to a neighbor's problems, or helping a  
neighbor with chores or erra...

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