Email/IM killed the conversation?

I sometimes wonder what the impact of the internet revolution is on social interaction, although I rarely think about it in such technical terms. I've noticed that often times I am much more comfortable talking to people over IM or email (or even on the phone) rather than in person (with exceptions of course). Sometimes this situation gets so awkward that face-to-face conversations are weird and I want them to end quickly. However, IM/email is so much easier. I can choose to respond to an IM immediately or, if I'm doing something else, turn to it in several moments when my mind is more clear. Same goes for email, although I tend to respond immediately and in multiple emails because I'm generally trigger happy.

Why does this matter? I wonder if all this technology is making us more and more secluded ... does it make us less adaptable to social situations? Does it make us more socially awkward because we are used to expressing our emotions in terms of smiley faces and "lol"s - even when we're not really laughing out loud? Do we not have the ability to gracefully exit a conversation without the "brb" tool? Does everyone REALLY need to have access to me all the time? More importantly, do I really need to have access to everyone all the time?

I wonder - can I survive a full 24hours without the incredible urge to check email or voicemail?

I admit, I am addicted to AIM and google-talk. While I do love the accessibility that technology has to offer - for one it makes it easier to be away from home and family - I sometimes yearn to meet a friend after a week or two, or even a weekend ... to ask them, "what's up" without having spoken to them on IM hours (or perhaps minutes?) earlier, knowing full well whats up.