  This paper brings evidence to bear on the question of the long-term effects
of Internet diffusion on civic engagement in geographic communities. It draws
on findings from survey data collected in four U.S. towns and cities in fall
2000 where community computer networking is established. The study shows that
early adopters of the Internet are more likely to engage in civic activities
and to have higher levels of community involvement than later adopters.
Further, early adopters are more likely to use the Internet to increase their
community involvement and political participation. Later adopters in all four
sites show less involvement in their local community and less interest in
political activity and information, online or offline. These findings reinforce
those of the Kohut (1999) study showing that later adopters are less civic
minded and more interested than early adopters in consumer and commercial
applications, such as shopping and entertainment. The evidence in these four
sites is consistent with earlier findings in Blacksburg, Virginia (Kavanaugh,
2000; Patterson and Kavanaugh, 2001; Kavanaugh and Patterson, 2001) and other
studies of early innovation adopters (Rogers, 1983; Kohut, 1999; Valente, 1995,
among others). The results reported in this paper lend weight to the argument
that increases in civic engagement and community involvement are due primarily
to the behavior of early adopters, making such increases a phase, not a trend.
As later adopters come on line, use of the Internet for community involvement
or civic engagement decreases. In the long term, we can expect that Internet
access may have only a modest effect on community involvement and civic
engagement in geographic communities.
