Another Reason to Love Facebook: Newsweek's "Isolation Increases in U.S."

So I noticed this little gem this morning, in Newsweek, an article titled “Isolation Increases in U.S.” (www.newsweek.com/id/213088)
Here’s a quote from it: “Social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace may provide people with a false sense of connection that ultimately increases loneliness in people who feel alone. These sites should serve as a supplement, but not replacement for, face-to-face interaction, Cacioppo says. He compares connecting on a Web site to eating celery: “It feels good immediately, but it doesn’t give you the same sustenance,” he says. For people who feel satisfied and loved in their day-to-day life, social media can be a reassuring extension. For those who are already lonely, Facebook status updates are just a reminder of how much better everyone else is at making friends and having fun.”
What keeps me away from more digital socializing is the time-suck factor. We only have so much (tiny) time in our lives, and when I’m knocking on heaven’s door, I wouldn’t want to regret the many hours I spent texting. Sure, texting is a form of writing, and writing is communicating, and twittering is . . . well, twitter. We all draw the line somewhere. I know I spend too much time on email, but most of it is business-related, so it’s part of the job. Mainly I think I want more Time. To finish that book (Pete Dexter’s new novel, Spooner, is terrific), to play with my daughter (we shot hoops in the park yesterday, and she’s only almost-three), to do all those things that don’t involved keyboarding . . . .