The thing that needs to be considered is: Does the ability to connect electronically with someone take the place of being physically connected? And I don’t think that it does. I think nothing will match the importance and the value of looking at someone face to face, being able to read their body language, being able to hug somebody, being able to just be with somebody. Last night someone said ‘You know, I finally went on to Second Life’, you know, which is virtual world. ‘I went on to Second Life and I was amazed at how emotional it was’. I said ‘Okay, what do you mean by that?’ And he said: ‘Well, there’s really something very powerful, even in a virtual environment of being side by side next to another breathing thinking feeling being, even if it’s just an avatar.’ I said ‘Okay, but how does that relate to sitting across from me at a table?’ He said: ‘Oh no, it’s not the same at all’.
And I hope that in a span of two generations, that we don’t have people that have become so heavily enmeshed with their technology that they have forgotten to interact on a human basis. I think we want to find what the balance is between adopting and adapting to this amazing technology that keeps getting bigger and better and more pervasive, while still being able to retain our basic humanity. I never want to have a long-distance relationship with someone and feel that I’m really connected to them just because we’ve spoken on the phone. It’s definitely better than nothing but it’s not the same as being there.