Living life too much online?

A new feature has come to facebook - A "Check In" app. Which allows you to tell people exactly where you are and allows you to share your favorite places to your facebook world. The facebook blog tells all here. And CNN has written an article online about it here.

But does anyone get scared that we may be living our lives through a computer screen? We are in a social media craze and no one can doubt the benefits it has brought us. And we can argue that its a fantastic way to share the Gospel - you can send out a message of the Gospel into the cosmos through twitter, facebook, msn, skype or blogging. It saves talking face to face (although is that a good thing?) And I do love the fact that I can chat to people across the world, that I can instantly keep in touch with them and have live chats or instant messenger.

But I wonder whether we live our lives too much through these social networks. The first thing we do in the morning may be to check our emails or facebook page. We find out gossip through the main facebook feed... who is going out with who, what new pictures there are, who has done what etc... is there any privacy? But of course you dont have to post anything or even be on facebook.

And yet its addictive. Technology is addictive and social media scratches that itch we all have. It seems that we spend most our lives in front of a computer screen instead of in person. However you cant really visit the sick through a facebook "poke"...

My point is not to say that facebook is bad, because I enjoy using it. But I wonder as a Christian if I can use my time better and if there are other ways that are more effective and more heart warming when it comes to fellowship with people in the church or sharing the Gospel with people? I dont believe church can be done online. I think church is about tears, joy, sharing burdens and being in contact with people which is more then an email can do. Otherwise I think we just shut ourselves off to personal human communication and we relax into twittering our spouse when they are upset or facebooking someone who is lonely instead of getting up and speaking to them or making the effort to see them... Its very easy to hide behind a screen and perhaps we (including myself) are is too scared to actually open up to people beyond cyberspace. 

What do you think?