I sometimes wonder if the concept of the traditional "reunion" shall be supplanted by recent advances in online social networking. It does have the obvious advantages of being free and simple to keep touch with others; in addition, Skype and other means of teleconferencing even eliminate the time and travel cost requirements of a genuine face-to-face meeting!
Of course, there is subtle sarcasm in these words. Essentially, as a society, our newfound social aptitude seems to be, at the same time, making us more socially inept. Is it not a common perception that we value a meeting by how rare it is; or to quote Thomas Haynes Bayly: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder?" It's no secret that words, regardless of their significance, lose much of their impact when related via impersonal means. The ability to share jubilation or commiserate over a life-changing event in person carries with it a certain level of emotional frankness and intimacy which simply cannot be conveyed through mere text; while video communication may seem a suitable surrogate, sometimes such a simple gesture as a hug or a high-five are irreplaceable instruments with which to epitomize a conversation and its meanings.
Maybe I'm just being old fashioned... however, it seems to me that while social networking is an invaluable tool which allows people to maintain bonds with others despite the expanses of distance and time, those bonds are, by necessity of their very nature, generally not as strong as those with genuine personal contact.
