I think the word Social Media is telling enough: it's social by definition. The fact is that many people don't recognize this, and instead approach it from the angle that 'kids these days don't know how to be social'.
The older generation sees this as a loss of human experience.
Instead I would argue that the opposite is true: the older generation is the one which is missing out on a whole dimension of social interaction. They are the ones not 'getting it'.
There is value in real world social interaction, but there is a whole other world out there which is just as real, even if it is digital. Perhaps the younger generation has more difficulty with face-to-face social interaction, but surely we all know as well that the older generation really falls short in online communication and interaction.
The digital world isn't seperate from the 'real world'. It's an addition. It doesn't lessen the world; it enlarges it. There is more interaction between people on a global level than ever before, where in the past you would talk to perhaps a handful of the same people over and over again.
When I look at old people sitting by the windowsill staring outside and generally being old, I wonder if their life would be different if only they know how to get online and interact and communicate there. It would enrich their lives significantly. I myself am looking forward to wasting countless hours online when I am at that age.
Indeed, it helps connect more people, and old people would benefit from it. But it also can cut into real world human contact if used to replace direct human contact interactions, which isnt always the case. Thanks for the feedback.