Introduction

In recent years in America social networking websites have started to grow at a rapid rate. There are sites allow people to connect with each other all over the world in any variety of ways. Sites such as Myspace and Facebook allow people to meet each other based on common interests and friends. While other sites such as Secondlife and Everquest allow people to interact in a digital imitation of reality. These sites offer many people the chance to interact that normally would not be able to. However, as people spend more and more time communicating with each other over the internet, they are spending less time interacting face to face. This poses a dangerous threat to people’s social skills. While the internet can emulate real life at some times, it is not the same as reality. As people become accustomed to interacting with one another in cyberspace they lose the ability to interact with one another when there is not a computer between them. Social networking websites are actually making it more difficult for people to connect with one another, instead of making it easier.