Do you really laugh with your friends anymore?  Or do you just "LOL" ?

It seems that the virtual communities have done a great job at connecting us with more people than we could ever accomplish on our local scene; but it may also be disconnecting us from the people that we would normally gather with if we didn't have the technological capabilities.

I've actually heard that when it comes to meeting new people and dating, there are many who PREFER to be able to see the profiles and check them out online before deciding whether or not to meet in person.  Obviously there are many benefits in doing things that way, but are we taking it so far that we're ending up being more comfortable with our virtual interactions than our face-to-face encounters?