Networking via social media has not replaced the face-to-face meeting, but has instead served as a way to enhance personal contact, according to Noshir Contractor, Professor Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University.
Contractor kicked off NASBIC's Midwest Private Equity Conference in Chicago on Thursday, highlighting the importance of combining social networking and personal relationships to achieve optimal communication.
After being introduced by NASBIC Midwest Regional President Steve Lewis, Contractor presented findings based on research done by Northwestern and Chicago-based Syndio Social, a firm co-founded by Contractor and students that focuses on social behavior.
The group's research shows that while people are using the social networks to communicate with people at distance, most users are still going online to communicate with people who are within 50 kilometers.
Moreover, seventy percent of the contacts in Skype or any other instant messenger list tends to be within the range of driving distance, Contractor's research shows.
Contractor noted that the single biggest use of email is used for scheduling face-to-face meetings, contrary to the widely held belief that technology is replacing physical meetings and gatherings.
As evidence, he pointed out that conferences such as the one he was speaking at are drawing large crowds, where people can exchange ideas the old-fashioned way.
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