Have We Become the Anti-Neighbor?

In the spirit of discussing avoiding human interaction by an array of means, via cell phone, music, etc. I have made the connection between not only people who are exposed to these means daily, but how it affects us at home and in our neighborhoods. I remember a time growing up where I knew my neighbors names, birth dates, hobbies, even the pass-code to their garage opener; we were that close. Growing up the neighbors around me served as possible guardians, friends and people that we shared our daily lives with just because we lived next door. Since my parents have divorced, they have moved to separate houses, and I along with them have also moved. With this move, I couldn't help but notice how neither one of my parents knew anyone that lived next door to them. When I asked them, "well did you meet the neighbors?" They both replied with, "No, I was too busy to do that." How could this be? Have they let the 'hustle and bustle' of their work and personal lives get in the way of being a neighbor or a friend to someone who lives just a few short feet away? This sparked my interest and to my surprise, I was not alone in this thought. A study done by two students at Syracuse University have discovered that social media has indeed replaced the need to act neighborly towards people. With the growth of social media, people have taken advantage of the convenience  of having anyone they have ever known, and by extension wish to know, on their social media devices. It is a sad, but quickly evolving truth that we are losing the ability to act as a neighbor. It pains me to think that one day people may actually watch shows like "The Flintstones" or "Home Improvement" and think, Wow! People actually used to talk to each other in person.