For 20 percent of Americans, the Internet takes precedence compared to sex.

A recent survey conducted by advertising agency JWT Worldwide shows that one-fifth of Americans have consciously sacrificed time having sex for time spent on the Internet.

‘I wouldn’t be that one in five,’ said Steve Dinardo, a senior environmental biology major.

Most students shared a similar opinion.

‘It’s perverse,’ said Stella Berg, a sophomore acting major. ‘People should just have sex.’

The survey was conducted in order to explore how new technology is cutting into traditional media share.

‘It shows that we are hyper dependent on technology, especially people who are 35 and younger,’ said Ann Mack, director of trendspotting at JWT.

One explanation for this statistic is that people are using the Internet more to facilitate their sexual desires.

‘A lot of people who are spending more time on the Internet are on the computer either talking about sex or looking at porn,’ said Niki Schloss, a sophomore speech and rhetorical studies major.

It is a concern that people are turning to unrealistic sexual outlets.

‘It’s a little unfortunate,’ Mack said. ‘Porn is often exaggerated. It’s not real.’

The survey also shows that about one in four people are spending less time socializing with friends in person to spend more time online.

‘It’s really interesting with friends,’ Mack said. ‘People who are 35 and younger don’t think of online and offline as being separate.’

Because online social outlets like Facebook and AOL Instant Messenger are so widely used by people in this age group, the line has blurred between in-person and online socializing, Mack said.

‘It’s more important to be with someone in person,’ said Matt Plummer, a senior biology major. ‘You can’t really get to know someone on the Internet.’

Using the Internet as an important social tool can be dangerous when getting to know others. ‘You can be anyone you want online,’ Schloss said.

Being able to construct a modified online identity can cause major drawbacks in forming actual in-person relationships, Mack said.

‘You can be a little bit bold online,’ she said. ‘Often when people do socialize offline, they cannot carry on that persona.’

The loss of intimacy is also a problem with the Internet, said Berg, the sophomore acting major.

‘You can’t show any real emotion,’ Dinardo, the senior, said.

Internet use, as impersonal as it can be, is becoming an extended part of self for people 35 and younger, Mack said.

‘The younger generation lives in an untethered world,’ she said. She places the use of WiFi Internet and the dependency on cell phones as personal extensions that previous generations have not encountered.

While the opinion of all Americans is unknown, the view of Syracuse University students is clear.

‘I use the Internet for e-mail, Facebook, IM. But I definitely wouldn’t spend less time having sex – I’d unplug my computer,’ Plummer said.

Published on October 7, 2007 at 12:00 pm