The Internet as a Tool to Restore Social CapitalByTyrone Schiff Undergraduate Non-Fiction

Imagine if a tiny metal can were sent hurtling into space fifty years ago, and as aresult your country’s economy would be altered forever, society would functiondifferently, and the political system would be forever changed. Anyone who is familiar with an instrument known as the Internet should be aware of its immense clout and power over a variety of elements that make up today’s world. The metal can was none other thanthe first satellite launched into space, Sputnik 1. In order to regain the technological leadin the arms race, Dwight Eisenhower, the president at the time, launched a project thateventually led to the Internet, which debuted in October, 1969. Since then, the network has gone through a number of evolutions that have brought it to its current state. TheInternet is a resource used by a tremendous amount of people around the world, andsubstantial data reveals that increases in social capital is related to mankind’s usage of theInternet (Taube, 235). It is evident that the Internet is a resource that has the power torestore the social capital that has been lost in recent decades.

The Decline of Social Capital

In order to better understand the concepts that are going to be dealt with in this paper, the discussion of the Internet’s positive role on social capital will begin with somedefinitions of both social capital and the Internet. The concept of social capital is still arather new one. In fact, the concept of social capital only “arose in the 1980s, as a number of social scientists considered the role of interpersonal relations in human and socialdevelopment” (Warschauer, 316). The most significant aspect of social capital that makesit differ from human capital, which involves individual skills or knowledge, or physicalcapital, like financial assets, is the fact that social capital is the “capacity of individuals to2

accrue benefits by the dint of their personal relationships and memberships in particular social networks and structures” (Warschauer, 316). Furthermore, there is a definite link between the individual and his or her own community and environment. Social capitaloccurs in a variety of different forms too. For instance, “if a friend provides informationabout a possible job […] if a parent offers high educational expectations, opportunities,and support to a child […] if a government bureaucrat can be trusted to do what he says,”these are all different types of social capital (Warschauer, 316). As indicated by theseexamples, social capital needs some sort of connection between two or more individuals.However, when social capital is strengthened between individuals, it also affects thelarger community (Warschauer, 316). A community can be affected by social capital dueto the intrinsic connection between social capital and civic engagement. Social capitalhelps promote civic engagement, because it provides insight, perspective, and resourcesto tackle issues of concern (Warschauer, 317). The term, “social capital” was actuallycoined by Robert Putnam, who is a professor of public policy at Harvard (RobertPutnam’s Profile at Harvard University).Robert Putnam has made the observation that America’s stock of social capital has been on the decline for the last half century (Putnam, 666). Putnam describes socialcapital as “features of social life – networks [and] norms – that enable participants to actmore effectively to pursue shared objectives” (664-5). Putnam feels as though today’ssociety has become deficient of social capital. In contending that social capital isdeclining, he cites the dip in membership records among national organizations,individual’s use of personal time, and lack of attendance for rallies and speeches(Putnam, 666). Most notably, however, Putnam attributes much of the erosion in social3