Bowling Alone

I liked what Putnam said about technology's role in the loss of social capital in America (even if the outdated comment about the VCR was humorous).  He talks about how television and other technological advances allow people to be entertained by other things by themselves in place of more "basic" forms of entertainment with other people.  Were he writing this right now, he could say so much more about the role of technology.  This section made me think about how students now have the option to take high school classes (or college) online instead of actually going to school with other kids.  What are not only the social capital consequences of this, but what effect does this have on the students themselves who don't experience a real classroom and social environment during a crucial point in their lives?  Another example is texting and messaging online in chats rather than either talking to someone face to face or at least hearing their voice on the phone.  This definitely has changed the way we view communication and maybe allowed us to skip some participation in social groups, but it has also made other people instantly available to us and helped people long distances apart to stay connected.