The democratisation of intimacy

Stefana Broadbent’s research suggests that the internet and technology is increasing our capacity for emotional intimacy. We may have 100 people on our ‘buddy lists’ or Facebook pages but we in fact only talk in detail with a handful of people. New technologies enable us to keep in touch across distance and time zones. Broadbent tells a number of touching stories of couples (romantic and family) who keep in touch using phone, Skype and webcams – a baker who every morning washes the flour off his hands to call his wife and a couple who, geographically distant, once a month set up their computers with a web cam and have dinner together.
Have a look at Broadbent’s TED talk and see if it fits with your view of how technology is changing how we relate.