Does the Internet mean being alone?

Does the Internet mean being alone (Internet and Everyday Life, p25)? This question certainly led me to pay attention to my own habits and the transformation of my own social sphere as I began to use the Internet more and more in my daily life. Internet and Everyday Life states "being alone may also mean abandoning ties with those physically nearby. Individuals may feel this loss, as may the individuals with whom they no longer spend time" (25). Is this statement true? Does the Internet deteriorate physical relationships in lieu of digital relationships?

Yes, my time online subtracts from time I would otherwise spend with others nearby. Instead, I rely on the Internet, for better or worse, to construct weaker but far more numerous relationships than I ever could in person. These weaker relationships (i.e., Twitter, AIM, Facebook, etc.) allow more distant connections. But are these distant and weaker connections more valuable than fewer face-to-face relationships? This depends entirely on the situation. My website and targeted forum participation has allowed me to gain far more clients from many different countries than I could ever hope to gain from face-to-face discussions or even paper advertisements. These distant but numerous connections created by my website and work-related social networking have created a tremendous increase in business profit. However, I feel the quality and time devoted to my close and physical relationships here at home has deteriorated. I spend less time in person with less people. Granted, Facebook does enlarge the social sphere of weaker ties, but is this necessarily a good thing? Does Internet time mean sacrificing your stronger face-to-face ties? Or do you believe the Internet compliments, or even strengthens, already close ties?