The purpose of this study is to examine how localised information and communication technologies (ICTs) use is related to interactions with local familiar strangers, from the perspective of communication infrastructure theory. More specifically, we examine (1) how individuals differ in terms of their relationships with local familiar strangers; (2) how individual-level socio-economic factors affect the scope and intensity of such relationships; (3) which individual-level communication factors (i.e. integrated connectedness to a community storytelling network, or ICSN) come into play in such relationships; and (4) how individual use of ICT affects the scope and intensity of such relationships. This study uses in-person survey data ( n = 2001) collected in Seoul in the autumn of 2019. We found that more than half of the respondents communicate at least occasionally with local familiar strangers in their neighbourhoods. However, there were relatively fewer interactions with local familiar strangers from local businesses and local institutions. Females, older people and the more educated were more likely to interact with local familiar strangers. ICSN was positively and strongly associated with interactions with local familiar strangers. Localised ICT use was generally negatively related to interactions with local familiar strangers. This negative relationship between localised ICT use and interaction with local familiar strangers is moderated by ICSN. For residents with lower ICSN, localised ICT use and interactions with local familiar strangers were clearly negatively related, and for those with higher ICSN, the two variables assume a U-shaped relationship.

中文翻译：

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首尔数字化城市社区中的当地人熟悉的陌生人


本研究的目的是从通信基础设施理论的角度探讨本地化信息和通信技术（ICT）的使用如何与当地熟悉的陌生人的互动相关。更具体地说，我们研究（1）个体与当地熟悉的陌生人的关系有何不同； (2) 个人层面的社会经济因素如何影响此类关系的范围和强度； (3) 哪些个人层面的沟通因素（即与社区讲故事网络或 ICSN 的集成连接）在此类关系中发挥作用； (4) 个人对 ICT 的使用如何影响此类关系的范围和强度。本研究使用 2019 年秋季在首尔收集的现场调查数据（n = 2001）。我们发现，超过一半的受访者至少偶尔与社区中熟悉的陌生人进行交流。然而，与来自当地企业和当地机构的当地熟悉的陌生人的互动相对较少。女性、老年人和受教育程度较高的人更有可能与当地熟悉的陌生人互动。 ICSN 与与当地熟悉的陌生人的互动呈正向且强烈的相关性。本地化信息通信技术的使用通常与与当地熟悉的陌生人的互动呈负相关。 ICSN 调节​​了本地 ICT 使用与与当地熟悉的陌生人互动之间的负相关关系。对于 ICSN 较低的居民，本地 ICT 使用和与当地熟悉的陌生人的互动明显负相关，而对于 ICSN 较高的居民，这两个变量呈现 U 形关系。