The Advancement of Social Technology and Its Effects on Modern Society

Timothy Egan's statement in response to the how the Notre Dame linebacker, Manti Te'o, could have possibly "fallen in love with a woman he never met" which ultimately led to a humiliating and public hoax sparked a concern I've had for some time. Here is what Egan said:

"The answer, in part, is what’s wrong with love and courtship for a generation that values digital encounters over the more complicated messiness of real human interaction. As my colleague Alex Williams reported in a widely discussed piece a few days ago, screen time may be more important than face time for many 20- and 30-somethings. “Dating culture has evolved to a cycle of text messages, each one requiring the code-breaking skills of a cold war spy to interpret,” said Shani Silver, 30, in the story." The Hoax of Digital Life by Timothy Egan

It is obvious and naturally expected that we, as a society, have been rapidly advancing technologically. But I'm not as concerned with technology which desalinates water in industrial quantities or telescopes which probe through space. We've had computers for decades now, and newer computer implementations are being continuously integrated within the social environment as a response to our social "needs". However, sometimes I feel hesitant to call it "advancement". It would seem that our priorities and our interpretations of social interaction are changing. But are these changes for the better? Perhaps they are. Still, it is important to analyze these changes in order to negate any negative repercussions. Now, I don't intend to go through all the details, but with change inevitably comes consequences. People--young individuals particularly--are gradually becoming more and more dependent upon their devices for the fulfillment of certain needs such as social interaction, satisfying such needs with a conduit which provides sometimes instant gratification. This instant gratification requires little effort and is readily available, reducing one's need to really achieve anything other than some simple comment which is merely representative of a person. How would this play out within an extended timeline? How will society and culture turn out in the end? Is this a perpetual cycle or will there be means for reversal?