The Internet and Alienation

Is the internet an additional source of Marxist "alienation"?

By "internet," I'm mostly thinking about social networking sites that are all the rage these days--Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.--but, for the purposes of this post, the "internet" encompasses all socially relevant applications of the world wide web where people can relate to one another and engage in a two-way communication. NYTimes.com, for example, while a wonderful website, would not be considered in this question because its main purpose is the dissemination of information and the internet is used only as a medium of delivery and not a forum where people can come together for some particular purpose. Of course, one could argue that the "comments" and discussions there are a form of social connection, which is true. The point of the example, however, is to illustrate the part of the internet I'm considering in my analysis of the possible alienation that it brings about.

Benefits of social networking on the internet abound. The popular argument for the internet seems to be the way in which it allows people to connect across geographical proximity and gives a greater access to a greater number of people. In that way, the internet allows for a flourishing of particularity, as Hegel might put it. The internet parallels capitalism rather closely, allowing for a degree of anonymity and equality (of even physical qualities, which is unique to this virtual world) while simultaneously providing for a wide swath of individual, particular interests. It's not difficult to see how the internet provides opportunities that would not be possible without it.

On the other hand, Marx's theory of alienation seems to apply quite appropriately to this relatively new form of social activity. In a way, the internet acts as an "intermediary" between humans, separating humans from direct contact with each other, much in the way that God acts as an intermediary in Bruno Bauer's argument on the Jewish question. Does the internet, then, take away from our lives as "species-beings," or our human essence? Does it alienate us from one another the same way capitalism brings about alienation of labor?

As we become more reliant on cyber-social relationships and spend more time in front of the screen, shouldn't we be wary of the consequences of this new system? Not that we can stop the internet from developing or from people taking advantage of new developments, but how can we conceive of it in such a way so that it doesn't fall into all of the same traps that capitalism has? How can we balance our cyber and physical lives, so that we can enjoy the benefits of the internet without suffering from the possible alienation?