Social netwroks and the end of the world (as we know it)

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Social networking is the end of the world as we know it. At least that's what I think The New Zealand Herald is trying to tell me.
A July 13 article reports on the results of a Pew Research Centre survey about the internet's predicted influence on social relations over the next ten years. 85% of respondents believed that the internet would improve social relationships.

Doc Searls is part of that 85%:

"Hatred and distrust between groups have caused countless wars and suffering beyond measure," Searls said.

"Anything that helps us bridge our differences and increase understanding is a good thing."

Although Searl is speaking about the internet in general, The Herald lumps his statement in with "Mark Zuckerberg's belief that the internet and social media will bring the world closer".

Searl's quote recalls Vincent Mosco's discussion of the myths of "history-ending technology". Technologies ranging from the radio to the television were proposed to enable better social understanding (and even world peace) by crossing divisions of class, race and geography.

Many discussions about the potential of the internet forget that its technological precursors failed to ultimately transcend these divisions and end history as we know it. This is important to keep in mind, but should not stop us from being optimistic about the internet's ability to increase the civility of our interactions with people we don't know.

Will social networking services turn myth into reality? If social networks are to increase understanding amongst disparate groups, it must first bring these groups together.

Facebook is a largely civil communication environment, but focuses on connecting people who meet outside of Facebook. deviantART connects people for the first time, but these connections are defined by mutual creative interests. Both websites minimise the contact between disparate groups, lowering the opportunity for discussing differences.

Perhaps ten years could make all the difference. By building on Facebook's civil communication environment and letting any user answer questions and rate answers, Facebook Questions could start to increase understanding between differing strangers.

History tells us we should be both wary and optimistic about technological myths. It won't be such a big deal if the social networks myths are wrong - by that time we'll have all moved on to the next myth ;)