Social media creating an antisocial world?

I had an interesting conversation with a coworker. I was talking about Twitter and was attempting to explain it to someone who has never even looked at it.  Her question, why would you be on Twitter, what's the point?

Well, I suppose its different for everyone.  I find myself using it for business.  Let's be honest, I want people to read what I'm writing and Twitter is one way to let people know my blog exists.  I also want to learn more about Twitter and with that knowledge, help my clients better capitalize on the social media opportunity.  I also find that Twitter is great for getting quick answers to questions.  There is so much variety on Twitter and if you follow the right people (fellow tweeters with similar interests) you can get some great advice or at least be pointed to a place where you can find the answers yourself.  

So back to my conversation with my coworker.  The conversation then changed to Facebook and the use of iPhones and Blackberries and so on.  Her thought, why are we spending all our time communicating in a virtual world, tethered to our electronic devices, rather than actually having real conversations face to face.

I touted the importance of these various forms and tools of communication, but a valuable point was raised.  In the age of social media are we becoming antisocial?  

I suppose this is a question that really depends on your point of view.  My stand is that social media  isn't taking away from communication, but adding to it.  I can easily share ideas and thoughts with people from across the world.  I can connect with people I haven't spoken to in years and the beauty of all of it is that I don't have to be more invested than I choose to be. 

So what's your take on social media?  From a business perspective I think most of us can agree that  social media and eMarketing are vital, but from a personal perspective, what is your view on social media creating an antisocial world?