is social media destroying our social lives?

A new study recently came out arguing that users of Twitter and Facebook aren't losing sight of human interaction by becoming engrossed by social media.  In fact, the opposite is happening; typically people are meeting in person and calling their friends on the phone more often as a result.  The statistics are below:

To take this information and say that social media isn't hampering social interaction would be a mistake.   There are two clear reasons why:

Twitter doesn't represent the online audience at large.

Twitter is a tool generally used by people who are socially ambitious members of the community; its users typically practice the same enthusiasm in other areas of their life.  It's important to note that the Twitter audience is a specific psychographic, and is a very poor representation of the online community at large.   

Facebook serves a different function for different generations.

Facebook, however, is a different story.  Everyone is on Facebook, regardless of their proclivity towards socializing.  For my generation at least, Facebook has become a site dedicated to keeping tabs on your friends and acquantiances, more-so than engaging in communication.  Think about it; the bulk amount of time spent on Facebook is dedicated to creeping on other peoples profiles and photos, not writing on walls and interacting.   While Twitter is a social stimulant, Facebook can often inhibit actual communication.

So if Facebook results in more lurking, less interacting, why do the statistics say otherwise?  My guess is because different generations use Facebook for different purposes.  My generation is more likely to get swallowed up in Facebook and its stalkerish qualities.  Older generations are more likely to use it to get back in touch with someone they wouldn't talk to otherwise, such as old college friends or extended family.

It feels like the 18-25 demo dominates Facebook, with 43%.  But when it comes down to it, 26-65 makes up 45%.  As my generation ages, I believe that we'll see an increased correlation between social media and the death of face-to-face interaction.