I dislike Facebook for many reasons, but I think there can be a lot of value in idle socialization. It may be encouraging people to express themselves, to respond civilly to other opinions, to keep in touch with acquaintances, and so on – and while these may not be civilization-advancing in the way of things like highway systems or space exploration, they strengthen the foundations of a healthy society.

I’m not saying Facebook is necessarily a net benefit for society, but it’s also not a total waste. If nothing else, I’d rather people were going slackjawed in front of an interactive screen than in front of the TV.