Larger Thumbs, Smaller Lives?

Katherine Jackson is missing, or I think she is. I saw that just a little while ago clicking through web sites. It appears to be true because Paris Jackson tweeted that it had been a week since she had seen her grandmother and she wanted her home now. Of course if Katherine Jackson is missing I hope she is found (if she wants to be) and missing grannies are usual not a good thing. But what struck me in reading this is the method of communication used for a personal issue.

Human beings were created to connect with each other. We were designed to need each other and to interact together. That is why Facebook is so popular, in my opinion. We have created a fast-paced society and in the western world it takes a lot of resources to pay for the society we created so we are working, working working and scurrying around accomplishing tasks and we use social media as a means of connecting. I wonder what this is doing to us as a society?

When I was in Japan some years ago I watched people on the streets of Tokyo walking and texting - there were enough of them that it caught my attention and I joked to my husband that in 100 years peoples thumbs would be much larger. But seriously, we are being short changed with a web based social interaction as our primary method of communication. When you meet with someone face to face it is much harder to conceal. Your entire self usually has to show up but on the web you can pick and choose - as really you should anyway because who really wants to know that you are mad at hubby for this and that - but you get the point. Personal connections involve body language and eye contact and the power of touch. Obviously we can't wait to communicate every time until we see someone and the Internet is a powerful and useful tool for communication. I guess what I'm getting at is the question of what are we doing to our society when we don't make time for human interaction and abuse the power of the Internet by neglecting the other? As I joked about larger thumbs in 100 years, I wonder what will be smaller in our society in 100 years by our inability to personally connect?
Just a thought of mine.