In my personal opinion, I believe that the omnipotence of technology in our everyday lives has not negatively impacted everyday face to face interaction. Obviously, society has instilled mannerisms into our psyche regarding the proper times to use technology; no texting at the dinner table, phones away during work meetings and school classes, etc. Though these unwritten rules are frequently broken from time to time, face to face interaction has been severely jeopardized. Just because someone is buried in their digital interface on occasion doesn't mean they can't communicate properly in person anymore. However, I do believe that the availability of these technologies can cause for distractions in an everyday face to face situation. Questions like "Has my twitter feed been updated?" "Have I gotten a text from so and so about so and so yet?", could cause for a compulsive need to check your phone in mid-conversation but I think that problem lies in the realm of ethics more than an inability to communicate with another human being adequately.
I am actually a vehement advocate of virtual relationships. I can't see anything wrong with meeting your soulmate on an online dating service; I mean if you can't find that special someone in everyday life why not go the virtual route? Now, if one is not putting forth an acceptable effort in face to face communication to find that type of connection than that could be problematic but if you've tried to establish that connection and its simply not working, I see no shame in trying to find a compatible match online. Though I can't give a personal opinion on online dating, I can speak on message boards more in depth. I am a member of the Kanye West fan site "http://kanyetothe.com". The site isn't just an everyday infatuation with all things West, but is honestly one of the most diverse sites on the net in my opinion. From sports, to other musicians, to television, to gadgets and games, it is a site that covers basically everything that interests me in life. Heated debates rage on in every section and subsequently virtual relationships and feuds are the result. I have friends on that site whom I've never met based on their love of all things Houston Texans and Curren$y (my favorite rap artist) related. Now, in no way would I describe the friendship as meaningful due to the fact that I have never met them, but they are rewarding friendships nonetheless. I have in-depth conversations regarding an array of subjects that I don't have in real life due to the lack of interest from my real-life friends in these same subjects. A heated debate on why Pilot Talk 1 is better than anything else Curren$y has ever done is a debate exclusive to KTT (kanyetothe), one my real life friends would find no interest in. These normal debates cause for relationships to be formed and more serious matters are discussed from time to time. The point being that online forums provide escapes from the real world and allow you to discuss topics that you find interesting more in-depth than you might in real life. They can also provide a safe-zone for members to explore more serious topics that they wouldn't in real life due to their anonymity. I can honestly say that KTT is my virtual family and I have no shame in admitting that.
I think the addition of "real" public space to discuss political/social situations could have a positive outcome but I don't think that it is exactly necessary. Political forums and discussion boards have a very powerful presence online and allow for heated debates with the cloak of anonymity; this is the key. In real life debates, people might hold back or refrain from giving whole-hearted responses due to their personality or what not, online debates hold no punches. Though this anonymity can cause for vulgarity or uncensored brashness, the point is that intelligent debates can be held online so there is really no need for a real space for these to occur. The only strong upside I see in real-life debates are the face to face communication aspects and further refining people skills but there are other outlets of meeting places where that can occur. I think that online forums are just fine.
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