All of the arguments above are valid so far. First, the benefits of emerging technologies are clear. Being wired into a network serves an endless number of useful means and allows for the exchange of information and ideas between otherwise unrelated people (This post attests to that fact). Second, human beings are indeed ever-changing creatures, constantly adjusting to their environment. The initial prompt does in fact imply that there exists a fixed ideal standard of human interaction, which is false and not my intention. Instead, I'm more interested in examining the costs vs. benefits of digital communication on a social level (which 'Mahollinder' has begun to address).