Social scientists have long suspected that the internet contributes to our growing isolation. But Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, set out to test that assumption. Working with Keith Hampton of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, Rainie says they found that Americans aren't as isolated as we thought and that being active on the internet might actually help prevent social isolation. An audio clip and transcript are available by clicking below.

Read More