The New York Times reported on a study regarding teenagers and the time they spend socializing on the Internet.

And while we may not be teenagers, we certainly do spend a lot of time on the Internet. The study, which lasted from 2005 to last summer, only describes how young people use new media like Facebook, MySpace and text messages, and it did not include any measurement of the effects of this shift.

We don’t call it the World Wide Web because it sounds cool. The Internet gives us access to people around the world. Despite how useful this can be, we need to step back and get back in touch with the people around us.

This isn’t to say the new networking tools out there are evil and should be avoided. Steve McDonald, an assistant professor in sociology and anthropology who focuses on social networks, said there has been a shift to the online communities, particularly in our generation. Obviously, there is a difference in how we interact, but that’s not unexpected, McDonald said.

We act differently in different environments, and the Internet is no different.

But we have to take care that we don’t get lost in the online communities and social networking sites. There are more than 6.5 billion people on this planet, and even though they aren’t all connected to the Internet, there are enough. Can you really ever have a strong sense of belonging in a sea of millions of online gamers or Internet personas?

The answer is no.

It’s difficult enough to maintain connections on campus — Dr. Michael Bachman, associate director of the Counseling Center, said it may be increasingly more difficult to connect with people and find a place to fit in as the campus increases in size. There are more than 30,000 students at N.C. State — it’s easy to feel a bit lost.

And Bachman said Web sites like Facebook and technologies like text messages certainly have changed the dynamics by which we connect with people. Yes, it’s a lot easier to get directly in touch with people — we’re not limited by landline telephones or slow Internet connections. But it’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of communication we can see throughout the day.

Worse, Bachman said, we may be losing some of the specialness of everyday communication. Is texting our family about our day the same as going home for a major vacation, getting a homecooked meal, free laundry and a big hug from our parents?

Okay, so perhaps that’s a bit ridiculous. But it’s definitely different. A text message or e-mail doesn’t quite capture sarcasm, body language or tone, and you simply can’t replace that.

So take a step back from your Facebook. Put your e-mail on hold for a while. Stop answering text messages for a day or two. And go try talking to your friends in person for a change. You might actually enjoy it.

Send your thoughts on the effects of online networking sites to [email protected].