ince the explosion of the Internet in the mid-nineties, universities and other research groups have conducted  a number of studies to determine the Internet’s effects on society.  Some, such as the Stanford SIQSS and CMU Homenet studies found that the heavy Internet use correlates to social isolation and depression.  Other studies, however, contradict these results, showing no change or positive change in social habits thanks to the Internet.  Here, we summarize and analyze each of the major studies as well as some minor studies, so that the reader can think critically about them and in order to introduce the background for our own study.