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According to the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, modern technology is declining people's ability to communicate properly, retarding social skills and, in worst case scenarios, increasing suicide risks.
"As a society, we're losing some of the ability to build interpersonal communication that's necessary for living together and building a community," said Archbishop Vincent Nichols.
"Too much exclusive use of electronic information dehumanises what is a very, very important part of community life and living together," he added, stressing the importance of face-to-face interaction, or at least telephone conversations.
According to him social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace do not provide "rounded communication, so it won't build a rounded community".
“The trend leaves children unable to form proper friendships and to put more weight on the number, rather than the quality, of their online friendships, he said. That can, in some cases, lead to suicide”, he said.
"They throw themselves into a friendship or network of friendships, then it collapses and they're desolate," he said. "But friendship is not a commodity. Friendship is something that is hard work and enduring when it's right."
