"We're collecting friends like stamps, not distincting [sic] quantity versus quality and converting the deep meaning and intimacy of friendship with exchanging photos and chat conversations."

"Instead of building true friendships we're obsessed with endless personal promotion: investing hours on end building our profile; pursuing the optimal order of words in our next message; choosing the pictures in which we look our best."

"We're faking experiences so we'll have something to share."

"I share therefore I am."

"If we are not able to be alone, we're only going to know how to be lonely."

Sherry Turkle's TED talk is worth watching -- I believe a lot of that karma tube video comes from it:

The short answer is yes, social media takes away from our ability to truly connect.

The longer answer is that it's complicated. Social media has its role but not as a substitute.

Completely agree. Reminds me also of this - more humorous - diatribe from Louis CK:

He's right -- staring at a phone prevents a kid from developing empathy.

"You need to develop the ability to just be yourself without doing something."