My take is that that very openness is what encouraged people to pour their hearts and souls into an online presence and directly resulted in the situation we see today. It was an aberration caused by the development of new and exciting tech, and not the potential start of a new and sustainable form of improved life.
As a side note, the "openness" at the times you discussed were still very limited in demography and geography.
As a side note, the "openness" at the times you discussed were still very limited in demography and geography.