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Many people are reporting that the more they use social networking sites to communicate, the more stressed they get about important face to face chats. Facebook and Twitter have benefits but are we relying too much on communication through cables? Are we losing the art of conversation?

The experts say leaving a comment on someones Facebook wall doesn’t count as catching up. The whole notion of friendship rests on actually seeing the person. You get things from face to face encounters that you can never get online, such as physical contact. Does a hug emoticon when you’re upset compare to the real deal? Thought not. The distant nature of online contact also raises the issue of how what you say is interpreted, and when dealing with conflict many people are tempted to say whatever they want, hiding behind the computer screen.

Email is the ultimate avoidance strategy at work. Many people send emails to co-workers when they could just as easily walk over and talk to the person. The trouble with email is that the written word can be seen as more agressive than you had in mind. Also when you get into the habit of handling everything electronically taking the lead in a meeting or talking to your boss about a raise can feel like a big leap. If you get anxious about talking to people in the office the best way to get over it is practise. Call instead of emailing, schedule short meetings and knock on peoples doors occasionally to have a chat about how things are going.

Social networking is an easy way to ‘get to know’ someone in a relationship, but remember you’re only seeing what they choose to put out there. It’s easy to create an online identity that’s idealised, the very best of you. That’s why it’s so important to spend time together in person, so you get a realistic idea of what they are actually like. If you’re relationship is going well online but seems flat in person, it’s time to wake up to reality.