Fourth Annual One-to-One Computing Conference

I'm in a session at NECC, during which Jennifer Ragan-Fore showed a graph of changes in scores on the Myers-Briggs that indicate the US population may be shifting from a nation of extroverts to a nation of introverts. She says that many people attribute this to technolgy. This raised several questions in my mind.

First, is it a bad thing, or a good thing? The two labels are extreme postions, and being at either extreme may not be good. Introverts (looking within) might be a good thing, perhaps indicating more introspection and reflection.

Second, how will Web 2.0 tools effect this? If the amazing trend of connecting online continues, will we get more social and extroverted (online at least)?

And third, can a person appear to be an introvert in face-to-face interactions, but an extrovert online? (I suspect so, since body image and "history" are not issues.)

Good food for thought.