Modelling the frequency of contacts in a shrunken world
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Date
2008-06
Publication Type
Working Paper
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
Based on a new substantial Swiss survey of ego-centric networks this paper analysis the im-pact of precisely measured geographical distance on the frequency and shares of different modes of interaction between the respondents and their contacts (face-to-face, phone, email and SMS texting). Geographical distance matters to how people interact today, as it did in the past (Mok and Wellman, 2007). The effort involved in the different modes of contact (face-to-face, phone, email and SMS) matches qualitatively the strength of the distance decay in the frequency of those interactions. The qualitative results are confirmed in structural equation model allowing for panel/multi-level nature of the data set. The patterns of the shares follow these differential distance decays. The frequency of face-to-face visits and their shares fall quickest with distance. While email frequency is unaffected by distance, its share rises fastest with it. The reverse is true for SMS messaging, which stays stable in terms of share, while only slowly falling with distance in terms of frequency. The high starting frequency of phoning translates into growing shares, even if the absolute frequencies fall with distance.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
532
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
IVT, ETH Zürich
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Subject
Geographical distance of network members; mode and frequency of contact; face-to-face; email; SMS; phone; modal share; distance; geography
Organisational unit
03521 - Axhausen, Kay W. (emeritus) / Axhausen, Kay W. (emeritus)
02226 - NSL - Netzwerk Stadt und Landschaft / NSL - Network City and Landscape
02655 - Netzwerk Stadt u. Landschaft ARCH u BAUG / Network City and Landscape ARCH and BAUG