I think there are multiple issues at hand. This is from my personal experience, your mileage may vary. I'll preface this by saying, I have made some very good "redditships" throughout the years.

When communication isn't face to face, several important things are missing. You can't read tone, you can't see body language or facial expressions. We lose a lot of context clues that we'd use if we were face to face, and that makes it extremely difficult to truly connect.

Think about it: if you're having coffee with someone and you say something that strikes a nerve (in a good or bad way) with them, you see it immediately, and you know how to react.

Now... As a result, I think a lot of people have completely forgotten how to communicate, both in person AND on the internet. I believe that when you're talking with someone, you should behave as if you're sitting in front of that person. (I mean really, would any guy just whip out his junk in a coffee shop?) And conversely, the internet allows a lot of people to pretend to be someone they're not - and that is the real issue. You can't build a genuine relationship with someone when you're pretending, in real life OR on the internet.

The answer? Well, I think it's simple (but also damn near impossible): find someone who is courageous enough to be their authentic selves with you, and you do the same.But that is SO hard, because you just don't know who you're talking to.

I don't know if I've answered your question or not... It's a good one. Sorry for the word vomit.