It's easier to talk online

[czgibson]

Greetings,

It's easier to talk online: youths

Young people feel better able to talk about themselves online, according to new research

Young people are taking refuge from reality in cyberspace, with more than a third feeling better able to talk about themselves online, new research has indicated.
A survey of British MySpace users aged 14 to 21 found that 36% found it easier to talk about themselves online than in the real world and thought their online friends knew more about them than their off-line ones.
In their real life social scene, nearly three quarters (72%) of youngsters said they felt "left out" and that they did not fit into any particular social group.
And more than four-fifths (82%) reported moving between four or more different groups of friends as they found it more and more difficult to be accepted.
Indicating how big an issue this difficulty in sustaining close real life friendships may be, 43% of those questioned named having a good group of friends as the most important factor in their future happiness.
Money came way down the list of keys to future happiness, with family, health and friends all rated as more important.
Rebekah Horne, MySpace Europe managing director, said: "This study shows us to what extent young people are using online as a way to explore and settle into their burgeoning identities."
But children's charity NSPCC cautioned against viewing the internet as a safe haven, warning that young people could be vulnerable to bullying online.
Phillip Noyes, Director of Public Policy at the NSPCC, said: "The technology has brought new ways to make friends. But it is also open to misuse and children can be vulnerable to bullying and abuse through this medium."
More than 16,000 MySpace users were polled for the survey.

Source

What do we think about this, people? Any truth in it from your experience?

Is this apparent trend in Britain reflected in other countries? Are young people getting more isolated and withdrawing from face to face communication?

Peace

[GuestFellow]

Greetings,

Yes I do think it is easier to express yourself online. You have time to think about what you are going to say. I personally find it difficult to talk to another individual since most of the time they pay attention to how you look rather than what you say. Though I do agree you have to be careful when speaking to strangers online.

I learnt in psychology individuals who spend too much time online could develop social anxiety where they have difficulty communicating with other people and can have a significant impact on their daily lives.

[crayon]

I guess it depends on the person.. I find talking online to be on par with talking in person, although each has its advantages and drawbacks. In person, you can express yourself more easily, with variations in your tone of voice and body language, while online you have more time to think things over, like the brother above said. That's actually a good habit I've picked up from online, actually- I now think a lot more than I used to before I say something.

I'm pretty sure this is a global thing, not one restricted to the UK. And although some are, I'd also think others are not, they are actually enlivened by their' successful' (?) online persona, and feel more confident to bring that out in real life? So the people that have a tendency to shut themselves out do that, and those with the tendency to do the opposite will do the opposite.

[Mysterious Uk]

Hmm interesting, well i can be classed as a 'youth' and in my experience, it depends on age and person. Nowadays i use the internet to talk about 'serious' things with close friends but that is only cos they are holidaying abroad and cos we just dont have the time to speak sometimes.

Whereas in my high school days, it was easy to talk to loads more people online than ofline. People that u'd just say hello to at school were a lot easier to talk to online, but that was just the type of person they were. I found it easy talking to people whether online or not.