This is only slightly less for the 18 to 34 age range, contrary to what might be expected. About one person in five believes that family ties are closer today than they were in his parents' time. In 1971, only 7 percent thought that was true. Half of those polled said they eat dinner at home with their family almost every night. In other questions dealing with relationships, Americans said they were strongly connected to their communities.
Neighborhoods are alive and well.
The pollsters also found a majority know and like their neighbors. It may surprise some that the Internet is not fracturing families but is creating new friends and that e mail is surpassing snail mail, and even the telephone to some extent, as a means of staying connected. This fact has strengthened relationships with friends and family rather than the reverse. Another point about Americans that was confirmed by the poll is that a majority has donated time to a charitable cause in the past year, and 73 percent have donated money. Churches are the greatest bene- ficiaries, followed by children's causes.