I like this post, Marjorie. I have a huge “problem” with falling into a pattern of “connectedness” that excludes real, human interaction. But I crave it. I'm scared for the younger generations, as I feel ours is the first to teeter the line between “facebook” and “let's get together for tea.” If people in their upper 20s are finding it easier to create and maintain friendships online, I can only imagine how tough it'll be for middle schoolers to thrive in social situations. I think it's extra tough for me because I work from home – if I wanted to, I could go a whole week with out having a conversation with anyone (besides my cats, of course). Thanks for posting this; it makes me think. And it makes me want to rely less on the internet and more on my ever-dwindling social skills!
That's one reason attending church is great – we can't phone it in.
Marjorie Clark 
I like this post, Marjorie. I have a huge “problem” with falling into a pattern of “connectedness” that excludes real, human interaction. But I crave it. I'm scared for the younger generations, as I feel ours is the first to teeter the line between “facebook” and “let's get together for tea.” If people in their upper 20s are finding it easier to create and maintain friendships online, I can only imagine how tough it'll be for middle schoolers to thrive in social situations. I think it's extra tough for me because I work from home – if I wanted to, I could go a whole week with out having a conversation with anyone (besides my cats, of course). Thanks for posting this; it makes me think. And it makes me want to rely less on the internet and more on my ever-dwindling social skills!
That's one reason attending church is great – we can't phone it in.