Those are some of the conclusions of a major new study of Internet users conducted by Stanford University's Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society. But even before its official unveiling here today, the survey of 4,113 people was receiving extensive criticism, guaranteeing another round of debate over the effect of this new technology.

"We're moving from a world in which you know all your neighbors, see all your friends, interact with lots of different people every day, to a functional world, where interaction takes place at a distance," said Norman Nie, a Stanford professor of political science and director of the institute. "Can you get a hug, a warm voice, over the Internet?"

A quarter of the survey respondents who use the Internet more than five hours a week said they spend less time with friends and family, either on the phone or in person. Ten percent said it had reduced out- of-home social activities.