Community connectedness is not just about warm fuzzy tales of civic triumph. In measurable and well-documented ways, social capital makes an enormous difference in our lives...Social capital makes us smarter, healthier, safer, richer, and better able to govern a just and stable democracy.

School performance, public health, crime rates, clinical depression, tax compliance, philanthropy, race relations, community development, census returns, teen suicide, economic productivity, campaign finance, even simple human happiness - all are demonstrably affected by how (and whether) we connect with our family and friends and neighbours and co-workers.

Our national myths often exaggerate the role of the individual heroes and understate the importance of collective effort.

Young Americans are dropping out of religion at an alarming rate of five to six times the historic rate.

Busy people tend to forgo the one activity - TV watching _ that is most lethal to community involvement

A society that relies on generalized reciprocity is more efficient than a distrustful society, for the same reason that money is more efficient than barter. Trust lubricates social life. Networks of civic engagement also facilitate coordination and communication and amplify information about the trustworthiness of other individuals.

Social capital may turn out to be a prerequisite for, rather than a consequence of, effective computer-mediated communication.