Internet - the new family activity?

So over the course of the semester we have a some readings saying that the internet can be good for the family or it can be bad. Well of course more recently we read the article Bugeja wrote and how anti internet that he was, and that it basically ended all human life (ok I'm just playin there, but you get the point). I really wonder now in this digital age if it may be bring a communites family together.
In a blog posted by the LA Times in cunjunction with the Pew Internet Study group "About 70% of couples in which both partners have cellphones call each other at least once a day, and 64% of couples in which both partners own a cellphone use their phones daily to coordinate schedules. And 42% of parents contact their child using a cellphone daily, meaning cellphones are the most popular communication tool between parents and children."
In that statement it can shown that families with more technology can enhance what is going on within the family. Newer technologies with cell phones have also helped parents in tracking their kids. Verizon wireless has a phone / tracker kit that can allow the parent to see where the kid is with a GPS location device that is located in the phone. Boost mobile as well as Apple with iPhone have created a technology that, if allowed, your friends can see where it is that you are located so if you wanted to meet up or anything like that. That can raise some security concerns but that is a whole other topic.
In another survey done by the Pew people 25% of people say that their family is now closer because of the internet. However a majority (60%) of families say that technologies have not had any impact on the family togetherness.
So the results on the family can show some increase but there is also some interesting data on the increase of friend connectivness, which can help the community. 33% of internet users say that the internet is increasing the connection with their friends
And just some overall findings from the report are in this chart -
So my question is how have you seen the internet effect peoples lives with one another, family and friends?