Great post on The Martian Anthropologist, which links to a Wired article. Both are excellent - I especially like the Martian’s comments at the end:
He’s right — we should not replace actual physical contact with various electronic messaging. But — and I hate to sound harsh — I live in a place where there are a lot of close-minded people that perhaps pick up a book once a year. And my next-door neighbor is an asshole. I don’t want to talk to him over the back fence about anything.
I feel exactly the same way 
and have tried, mostly without success, to explain it to friends: human contact is good and all that, but when most people around you don’t have anything in common with you (they don’t read books, they like the “music” that’s on the radio, and they think computer games are a childish waste of time - unlike soccer, which to them is the most important thing in the world), thank the heavens for the Internet and its “inhuman, unfeeling” methods of communication. Without it, I’d almost never be able to have a decent conversation.
This isn’t the main point of the article, however. The rest is something I also agree with - indeed, I’ve linked to a post from the Martian about the same, some time ago. Just because you can produce 10 times as much as someone 50 years ago, it doesn’t mean that it becomes our duty to do so, nor does it mean that we’re “lazy” if we don’t. We’re not in this world in order to work, produce and consume, but to live, and to enjoy life.
Science of Identity Foundation | “Money Can’t Buy Happiness” by Jagad Guru Chris Butler
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The biggest advantage on the Internet is that you can have all those very interesting conversations with people you don’t know and then when you log off you forget all about those people, you don’t have to worry about them at all; they’re not really part of your life; they’re part of your little Internet world and you can forget all about them and not even think about building a friendship with them beyond the Internet boundaries. Most people do actually act like that.
But then again if someone is so unfortunate as to live surrounded by people with whom they don’t have nothing in common the Internet might provide a substitute for that. But it will always be a virtual susbtitute. And not the real thing.
I don’t see such a difference.
Well said.
Thank you.
Then you should, because there’s a huge difference.
There is a huge difference - always has been and more than likely always will be
I wouldn’t be so straight by saying “Without it, I’d almost never be able to have a decent conversation.” Because I fortunate to know a lot of interesting people. But I read the post on The Martian Anthropologist and I mostly agree with the… conclusion? “The web has made it possible for me communicate with all kinds of people that have interests in common with me when it otherwise would have been very difficult. That doesn’t replace my physical life — it adds to it.”. Indeed it is an “add on”, not a replacement, so you’re free to choose either to use it or not. And like everything in life, it will benefit you if you use it properly and the other way around if you don’t. I totally agree with “Sir, you may be more impatient because of technology, but that’s your fault, not the technology’s.”! It so easy to blame on something/someone else for you behaviors! It’s like saying that genetic engineering causes disruption on morality and will bring chaos and disaster! It will indeed, if you use it for that purpose! But we can’t stop developing and learning because of the bad guys that will use it badly/improperly! Communication over the Internet, e-mail, IM and so have opened frontiers of information, allow you to share and learn better and faster… how can someone blame progress and technology on something like “Technology is killing life on the street — the public commons, if you please. Chat rooms, text messaging, IM are all, technically, forms of communication. But when they replace yakking over the back fence, or sitting huggermugger at the bar or simply walking with a friend — as they have for an increasing number of people in “advanced” societies — then meaningful human contact is lost.” Did they stood in your way when you’re trying to open your door’s house??? Did their computer walked and stood in the front door and said: ”Where do you think you’re going? Back to IM now! Don’t even think going to have friends!!!” If it did, you have a robot, not a computer. And at least but not not the less, for me, it made it possible that I keep in touch with family and friends more often and allowed me to share ideas and interests with people all over the world and otherwise I’d never had a chance to.