A few weeks ago, I heard an interesting address by the new president of Adelphi University. Looking into the next century, Dr. Matthew Goldstein reflected on the expanding influence of technology, and in particular, the Internet on education. He also expressed frustration about the growing number of college students who do not have the ability to express themselves in writing or in front of a group. That is a challenge which he clearly established as an important issue for colleges and universities to handle. But make no mistake about it, the Internet is here to stay. The issue becomes how we adapt to its use or rather how it can adapt to our purposes.

Twenty-five years ago the lament was that children were glued to the television set, and we had developed into a nation of couch potatoes. Today, many young people are glued to another tube -- the visual display of the family computer, and we are fast becoming a nation of desk or lap top wanderers. Many of us are hooked on the Internet.

My concern is that computer generated isolation will make it more difficult for many young people to relate effectively in every day social situations. My wife, the head of a nursery school, puts it another way. She maintains that the most important function of her school is to develop social skills, or stated another way -- the ability for children to play and get along with each other.

Too soon, those 3 and 4 year olds will graduate to the online experience and some level of isolation. Unfortunately, there is pressure from many parents to get right into academic subjects and computer training -- something that can really wait until children have developed play skills and social interaction. Where are we headed with expanding computer isolation? I have to admit being somewhat addicted myself. Research on the Internet is faster than heading to the local library. While books remain the source of reading for pleasure, the computer, coupled with the Internet, is the most efficient way to conduct research. Sitting in the den, I can search the Library of Congress and the libraries of universities across the nation and around the world. And then print out the results while taking very few notes.

The computer is not going to go away. The question remains as to how we can better adapt it to our use -- before it turns more of us into social isolationists? That is an issue which educators will have to ponder carefully as we move to the next century.

With many families providing less quality time for children and other families headed by a single parent, the divisions in society and computer isolation will become even more acute. Neither the television set nor the computer can be a substitute for social interaction.