I'll be the first to admit that there are times when there's no substitute for the touch or voice of a friend or loved one. But many people, especially those comfortable with the written word, have no trouble maintaining social connections by e-mail. In fact, I think e-mail can be the very antithesis of isolating. It's communication that otherwise would not have happened, and adds to the totality of social connectedness rather than detracts from it. This seems obvious to me.
People gravitate to the medium that works best for their needs.
But for others, e-mail actually increases and enhances communication and connectedness. The fact that e-mail is the No. 1 online activity is concrete evidence that there's a huge number of people who feel likewise. As a neutral statement, that's fine.