Social Networking: Death to Human Interaction

Now a days everyone is so caught up in the hype of social networking but has anyone stopped to take a look at just how "social" we have become. Sure we hear complaints from adults about how their kids cant seem to get off their phones or computers, but what about the adults themselves? It seems like social networking is used more for airing dirty laundry and causing unnecessary drama in peoples lives than actually "socializing". My intentions for social networking were to keep in touch with people whom I care about. Whether it be friends from college who live thousands of miles away or spouses I meet along my marital journey who I'd like to remain in contact with should we meet again later down life's road. However, on a daily basis I feel shut out by these so called friends and even worse by family members. I find it absolutely disgusting that a family member or close friend would "post" a happy birthday or "how are you feeling" rather than actually pick up the phone and say it to me like a human with some common decency. I am a little less anal about all this in regards to "friends". Perhaps the two of us aren't as friendly as I thought. So be it. But a family member...really? I mean if you are not on my friends list to actually keep some kind of line of communication open, go ahead and delete your self. And if you cant pick up a phone every now and then just to see how someone is doing, don't bother calling yourself a friend. Now I'm not saying call everyone you know everyday but once a year isn't too much to ask. And if you do find that it's too much to ask then at the very least shoot them a message. Something personal to let them know you aren't just using them to have bragging rights that you have 500 friends. It's really disturbing how much social sites have impacted the way we interact with one another. True it was bad before social networking, what with text messaging and all. How hard is it to pick up a phone or sit down and write a letter? People claim these things are time consuming but how about you shut down your computer, turn off your TVs and gaming systems and grab a pen and a piece of paper or pick up the phone and make an actual call rather than sending a text? A person can spend an hour social networking and another 3 online gaming. Yet a simple one page letter to your mom, brother, friend you haven't seen in years...takes a mere 30 minutes at most out of your day. Even still, a phone call can take 5 minutes. There is no excuse except you dont want to, which is fine, but dont call your self a friend yet alone family. Thus being said, I challenge everyone to stop being "busy" and take a friend to lunch, write a letter to grandma, take a walk with your roommate. Do something to interact with a human in a humane way. Start with once a month, move to once a week...and by the end of your life you just may deserve the title of an "actual friend".