Islanders

The phrase "No man is an Island" was coined by John Donne to convey the thought that we as people require social activities to function properly. Studies has shown consclusivly that isolation causes mental problems and fits of paranoia to those that tried to live on their island.
I wonder if there are any more islands left, if you peruse cracked then you may have seen their rebuttal of NBC's piece on people being addicted to internet social media sites in particular Twitter and Facebook. Though I would not call those who spend a lot of time on these sites addicts it has to be said that these sites have given rise to people knowing more and more about their friends colleagues and the odd strangers you think you may know. There is hardly a weekend that goes by that I don't know who is going out and who has a hangover the next weekend. They have brought our friends closer than ever before, making the chance for isolation even more elusive. I often get mocked for my lack of appearance on these sites, I will go through fits of activity on them but any sustained period of non activity generally brings on a flurry of questions about what I was doing.
This is because their every move is on the world wide web for everyone to see and comment on. People have become more and more desperate for the highest friend counts and to start giant conversations to show that you popular and people like to engage you in status updates and little quizzes which can tell your future. I think that people need to step back a bit more and retreat to their island. It is in moments alone that I get my best thinking done, it's when I can look back and think about anything that comes to mind. To try and figure things out and to just ponder. Something that is lacking nowadays. Could you imagine the manic depressed writers of the 18th and 19th centuries on these sites, they would have found people of similar mould to them and more than likely been brought out of their states. Though depression is a serious problem if you can control it the fact that we can get instant gratification for whatever we do or think will lead to people with more problems than before.
There will be no need to sit back and think when others will sooth you soul for you. There is no need for personal growth when you can validate yourself through these mediums. Maybe I am being a bit pessimistic and people will still strive to improve even when they have a couple of hundred requests accepted and get 20 comments on each update they have or maybe they will just stay the same way they are now. Lets wait and see I suppose.