Are We Really Better Off with Online Social Networks?

From our discussion in person last night at Sweetwaters:

The following is an excerpt taken from a 2006 NY Times article by Betsy Israel on the impact the online world is having on society:

“Now, as they move through high school, college and beyond, the generation’s seemingly obsessive need to connect has inspired concern and debate among many adults. To summarize: What are the psychological implications of simultaneously talking to 50 of one’s forever best friends, who are not actually present? Are teenagers likely to misinterpret the nature of these best-friendships? As Mr. Abramson, a 17-year-old who has ‘studied the societal implications of the Internet’ since age 10, puts it: ‘There’s the issue of removal. Online engagement is not a viable substitute for a functional in-person social life.’”

Discussion: Do you generally agree or disagree with Mr. Abramson’s comment? How have online social networks both improved and hurt our lives?