Social media and e-mail are growing in popularity for Americans as a way to keep in touch with neighbors, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

“Americans use a range of approaches to keep informed about what is happening in their communities and online activities have been added to the mix,” the survey stated. “Face-to-face encounters and phone calls remain the most frequent methods of interaction with neighbors. At the same time, internet tools are gaining ground in community-oriented communications.”

Among the findings from the research:

• 22% of all adults (representing 28% of internet users) signed up to receive alerts about local issues (such as traffic, school events, weather warnings or crime alerts) via email or text messaging.
• 20% of all adults (27% of internet users) used digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues.

Overall, physical personal encounters remain the primary way people stay informed about community issues. In the twelve months preceding our survey:

• 46% of Americans talked face-to-face with neighbors about community issues
• 21% discussed community issues over the telephone
• 11% read a blog dealing with community issues
• 9% exchanged emails with neighbors about community issues and 5% say they belong to a community email listserv
• 4% communicated with neighbors by text messaging on cell phones
• 4% joined a social network site group connected to community issues
• 2% followed neighbors using Twitter