The Internet As A Significant Other

Close to one in four Americans say that the Internet can act as a significant other for some period of time, according to a new poll from 463 Communications and Zogby International.

The percentage was highest among singles with 31 percent saying that the Internet could act as a substitute for a significant other. There was no difference between males and females but there was a divide based on political views.

Thirty-one percent of those who considered themselves "progressives" were open to the idea of the Internet acting as a significant other while just 18 percent who said they were "very conservative" would consider it a substitute.

Over half of Americans think that Internet content such as video should be controlled in some way by the government. Twenty-nine percent said that video should be regulated like television content and 24 percent said government should have an online rating system similar to that used by the movie industry. Thirty-six percent said that blocking of Internet video would be unconstitutional.

More than one in four Americans has a social networking profile on sites such as

"Our challenge as a society is to let the Internet flourish as a dynamic force in our economy and communities while not chipping away at the fundamental freedoms that created the Internet in the first place."