Is Social Networking Good for Society?

Today the New York Times Freakanomics blog explored the implications of social networking by interviewing a series of "experts."

My favorite insight came from Judith Donath, an MIT Professor:

"The big picture: social networking technologies support and enable a new model of social life, in which people’s social circles will consist of many more, but weaker, ties. Though we will continue to have some strong ties (i.e., family and close friends), demographic changes, such as frequent household moves and the replacement of friends and family with market services for tasks such as daycare, are diminishing the role of social ties in everyday life. Weak ties (e.g., casual acquaintances, colleagues) may not be reliable for long-term support; their strength instead is in providing a wide range of perspectives, information, and opportunities. As society becomes increasingly dynamic, with access to information playing a growing role, having many diverse connections will be key."

The idea of "weaker ties" is interesting... how meaningful, after all, are our online "friendships?" And to what extent will the social networking definition of "friend" come to replace actual human connections?