Guardian comment 01 Nov 09, 9:02pm

The new fast ways of keeping in touch are driving us further apart

My comment 01 Nov 09, 9:02pm (about 2 hours ago)

I don't think you should underestimate the way the internet is helping people communicate.

Sure, things are different nowadays, but different doesn't necessarily mean bad. Traditionally, people have been aware of some of the side effects of face to face contact: like it or not, we are animals as well as humans, and being in the physical proximity of someone else means one has to take the potential consequences of that fact into account. Being in the immediate physical reach of someone means having to account for their physical actions, which might not be agreeable. Communicating with someone remotely - out of their physical reach - can mean more direct and honest talk, without fear of physical harm.

This might sound absurd to some, but the truth is that we do operate from more than just an intellectual level: we do have unconscious motives, fears, beliefs and agendas that can cloud what we say to people, and why. Deep down in our reptilian brains, our reason is clouded by all kinds of fears and irrationality.

If writing anonymously on the internet like this has taught me anything, it's taught me the value of not having to wear a mask when I say what I think is the truth. Fact of the matter is, some people don't like to hear the truth - whether it's your truth or some "absolute" truth - and to feel safe enough to speak it really is invaluable.

I'm sure that as people explore the possibilities of communication via the internet, we'll experience depths - as well as shallows - of communication that we would never have without it.

Besides, we do have Skype and other video based internet platforms. It's quite easy to hold a face to face conversation with someone thousands of miles away nowadays, and many people do. And I have to say, it again has enormous benefits. It, again, is a very different mode of communication.

Given time, I think the internet will help us explore who and what we are as thinking, feeling human beings more than any time in history.