social media *does* keep us in touch with friends we can't see every day. it's not just wishful thinking, it's actually a cool way to talk to people without having the hours-long phone calls people had back before SMS was common, or only ever talking to the people physically near you, or whatever.
the trick is, it's addictive. and it makes us all crave some version of success, whether it's more followers or just the attention of some particular person.
it's hard for us to just use it well.