every person has his way to socialize. some do it in real and some online.
both ways have their advantages and disadvantages. mind you ppl can be influential online or in the real world.
i had a friend who was very shy, he rarely came out.
But i once saw on a tv show about this one guy who was so scared and shy to meet ppl, and when he agreed to get rid of the shyness he was put on national tv he cried for some 10-15 mins before he could say his first word.
i too hate ppl who would rather spend time on these sites than out in the open, but then again its their choice right.
anyways i am not patronizing these networking sites.