How ‘Social’ Is Social Networking?

Huffington Post:

I like Facebook. I’ve been signing into the site fairly regularly for a couple years now, and it has become my large extended family’s primary form of communication. It also keeps me connected with friends and former colleagues — people I like a lot but would never stay in touch with otherwise. We share photos, update personal news, comment on politics and pop culture — nothing serious, but it’s still more connection than I would have in a previous era.

In that sense, Facebook is certainly a social lubricant for many of its 500 million users, facilitating fast and effortless and widespread connection. But does this innovative technology actually change the quality and texture of relationships? Do people have better connections with others, more open and honest and satisfying? In short, can social media enhance social life?

Read the full story: Huffington Post