Something that I haven't seen mentioned here is online communities. E.g. HN. Or the thousands of other websites that cater to the varied interests we have. It'

Something that I haven't seen mentioned here is online communities. E.g. HN. Or the thousands of other websites that cater to the varied interests we have. It's not the same as real life, in person interaction. But it does result in "friendships" of a sort. It allows people to interact with like minded individuals. Much different than everyone being passive consumers watching the boob tube.