Good article/thread, Will.
Years ago, I decided to make a life changing career and lifestyle move. I wanted to "get off the grid" as much as I could. But even though I now live far removed from my past, I'm more wired now than I ever was before. I rely on online banking and brokerage services, most of my news comes off the internet and I only subscribe to one magazine now... where I used to subscribe to a dozen or more. And with what I do as a primary income source, I very seldom meet any of the people who I do business with or "work with". Most of the engineers that I've dealt with over the years, I've never met and we have no idea what the other even looks like.
And whether it's a good or bad thing, my current relationship (such as it is) is maintained by the fact that we can use Facetime video chats and email over those periods when I'm traveling on business and we can't see each other.
It does make you think though. While I've read that the internet has made some people more social, I wonder what the definition of "social" really is. I don't know the people who own the property to the right of me... and to be honest, I'm not really trying to get to know them. They're absentee owners from out of state and as long as they don't bother me, I won't bother them. Whereas years ago, we'd have probably felt obligated to get to know each other.
Hmm, think about it: using the internet, you can get a date, buy groceries, order food, generate an income, pay bills, get your news, watch TV or movies, make "friends", become an amateur politician, etc., etc. Hell, why even go outside? There be dragons out there!!!
