Social media applications like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn offer exciting new ways to connect with people. Facebook connects you with friends and family in far-flung locations. Twitter lets you eavesdrop on movie stars, business tycoons and just plain interesting people, picking up interesting bits of information. LinkedIn keeps you in touch with colleagues and customers, even as your career paths go off in different directions. It also lets you find groups of people with common interests.

With so much variety and convenience, no wonder social networking has become so popular. According to Mashable.com, recent Nielsen survey statistics rank sites like Facebook and Twitter at 22.7 percent of time spent on the Internet - more than twice as much as online games, which come in a distant second. By contrast, e-mail as a percentage of online time dropped from 11.5 percent in 2009 to 8.3 percent in 2010. Instant messaging declined an amazing 15 percent in the same time span.

But social networking has its limitations. Among those frequently noted:

- By definition, online communication omits the body language, eye contact and tone of voice that account for as much as 93 percent of communication. The short, to-the-point posts allowed by the social media applications convey information, but they don't necessarily help to establish rapport.

- Social networking sites tend to accentuate the positive. Most posts are upbeat comments about successes and accomplishments. You may feel intimidated or inappropriate about asking for help with a new venture or job search.

Although social networking has its limitations, Twin Cities project manager Nancy Kehmeier says social networking helps her feel more in touch. "Social networking doesn't really reach the depth and quality of conversation over coffee - but there are lots more conversations equivalent to a sip or two of coffee."

Dennis Siemer, CEO of the Mankato manufacturing company V-Tek, Inc., said, "I think social networking has actually increased the amount of face time that I engage in. I've found out how many people I've been connected to through mutual acquaintances. By connecting and using a message or two, a person can determine if there's mutual interest that can lead to productive facetime."

The key, it seems, is not to think of social networking as a substitute for face-to-face networking. Kehmeier said, "Face time and social network time are not at all the same thing to me. Social network time is dedicating tiny bits of time to multiple friends. In-person time is far more valuable and must be kept for a few best friends."

Social networking sites are, in a way, an electronic version of the social hour before a dinner party. During the social hour, it's perfectly appropriate to engage in many brief conversations. Keeping it light and pleasant is the rule. When it's time to sit down for dinner, you're likely to seek out someone with whom you'll enjoy a more in-depth conversation.

Dan Klamm, outreach and marketing coordinator at Syracuse University Career Services. Klamm's article, published on Mashable.com, puts it this way: "Nothing beats face-to-face interaction or voice-to-voice interaction, when geography prevents you from being in the same location. Social media platforms are great for making introductions and warming up relationships, but ultimately you should take your networking conversations beyond the confines of Twitter and LinkedIn."

- Laura French
President of Words Into Action, Inc. and freelance writer from Roseville, Minn.