Just how social are social networks? It occurs to me that people spend an awful lot of time socializing on the net. I know I do. And I feel there is a place for social networking in our lives. Social networking is great for finding people we’ve lost touch with over time: old school chums, you or extended family members who moved far away, or people you used to work with after you or they leave a company for greener pastures. And it’s great to build contacts and a network of followers on sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Facebook has got to be the most used site for this type of social contact and interaction. There are many other social networking sites but some take technical skills the average Facebook-er may not have or doesn’t need. If all you know is how to write a Word document or use email, you can still set up and use a Facebook account. You use it to meet new people and stay in touch with friends and family. To let people know what’s going on in your life and finding out what’s going on in theirs.

One thing that seems out of proportion is the hyperbole that abounds on these sites as there seems to be an inordinate amount of love and laughter bandied about in these online interactions. Slightly funny anecdotes raise gales of online LOL’s or ROTFWL’s. And many things that deeply sadden us are quickly identified as bogus by Snopes.

Aside from Facebook there’s a slew of social sites for personal sharing or connecting with others in a more businesslike manner. And blogs. And Forums. And Chat rooms. And sites still that are strictly for sharing photos and photo albums. You get the idea.

While you can keep in touch, or touch some emotional chord in those who read your online posts, you can’t actually touch anyone in a tangible way. There is no real hugging or pat on the back. The one-on-one, face-to-face connection is lost in the online world. Yeah, you may be able to see them on Skype, but try feeling the warmth of a hug, shaking a hand, or giving a kiss.

I have nothing against all this online busy-ness and feel it definitely has it’s place in our world. However, I think too many people are so wrapped up in it that they forget they live with and around other people who are right there....go ahead, give them a hug - just for the heck of it...just because you can!

I am a bit concerned that the upward trend of social networking, and texting for that matter, is discounting the true value of interpersonal relationships. Where once I would see people in restaurants and coffee houses sitting across from other people and actually holding an uninterrupted conversation, now I see people answering their phones, or sitting alone talking on their cell phones, or texting, or accessing Facebook on their handheld gadgets. Or worse still, sitting with someone else and completely ignoring the other person (or each other) to socialize in a more techy way. I find these behaviors somewhat anti-social, myself.

Many people choose to text or tweet or use any number of ways I’m sure I don’t even know about rather than simply open their mouths and talk to each other. Isn’t it easier to talk on the phone than to wear out your thumbs texting? And I have to wonder if we as a society are losing the art of conversation unless it’s in the form of abbreviations and acronyms? Are we really too busy to say ‘by the way’ instead of BTW? No kidding, this stuff is acceptable in oral conversation these days too. Keep up, Pops!

BTW the acronym BTW has more syllables when spoken aloud than the actual words that make up the acronym.

Some things are just too personal to lay them out there for all to see on social networking sites. Good thing, too. Otherwise we may never have a reason to pay any real attention to each other when we’re together. It’s certainly not anything like the old days...the days when you didn’t have at least a few devices on which to socialize and access the Internet anytime and anywhere you want.

Why not use that newfangled device to make arrangements to meet that old friend or co-worker for lunch sometime soon and actually follow through? Maybe you’ll find actually being with the person a richer and more rewarding experience...with cell phones and tech toys turned off.