• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, December 1, 2006

Cyberspace is fast becoming as important as the so-called real world. That's one conclusion of a new report from the USC-Annenberg Digital Future Project.

Each year the project surveys more than 2,000 people across the country, focusing on the impact of online technology. This year, 43% of Web users who belong to online communities reported that they "feel as strongly" about their Web worlds as the real world.

Of course, that distinction is somewhat false, as communicating on the Internet is real--posting a message on someone's blog is at least as "real" as a message on their answering machines or a note at their cubicle.

That's not to say there aren't differences. Much has been written about how easy it is to pretend online, how the lack of face-time impedes people from really getting to know each other. And, while that's all true, the Web doesn't differ tremendously from other non-face-to-face communication, like letters and phone calls, in that regard. In fact, as it's becoming easier and easier to post video and audio files, the Web is poised to surpass telephones as the next-best way to keep in touch.

Additionally, as the report itself noted, online communication drives offline behavior. Twenty percent of the members of online communities--defined as groups that share ideas or collaborate on projects via the Internet--said they take action offline, related to the online group, at least once a year.

The report also found that time spent online was helping people stay in touch with their friends, while not detracting from face-to-face contact. Researchers reported that the growth of the Web created "virtually no negative effects" on the amount of time users spent with family and friends. Instead, the opposite was true: about 38% of Web users said they are now communicating more with family and friends, while around 43% said that they now stay in touch with more people than before the Internet came along.