This past weekend, I was driving back to my apartment in San Francisco and stopped as a cable car was going past, and I watched these two teenagers that seemed to be on a date riding the cable cars.  Except, they both had iPod earphones in their ears, and when one went to say something to the other, they both had to take off their earphones to converse. I found it kind of funny, because they both seemed to like each other except they couldn’t be without their music, so they were together in their own separate worlds.

This article in the NY Times explores this phenomenon – how social networking has changed student’s social skill set and their development in the midst of less face-to-face interaction. Non-verbal subtle clues are harder to pick up over gchat, Facebook or text, and sometimes with less interpersonal interaction, those skills become less developed in adolescents and teens.

What are some simple things to do in the face of new social technology?~ I encourage kids to get a summer job (if they are old enough) where they are dealing with the general public – either at a grocery store, retail outlet, or otherwise, so they can develop their interpersonal skills and learn how to deal with and react appropriately in a variety of situations. I also encourage parents to have a technology-free time, where everyone puts their Blackberries, iPods and other technological tools away for a few hours each week and do something outdoors and interactive.