The virtual experience: Second Life

It is required for one of my classes that I download Second Life--a virtual world that serves as a learning tool, meeting place, chat room, you name it. The reasoning behind why my class must acquire a second life is that currently big name companies are using the program to hold meetings with employees scattered across the actual world. All they need do is login, teleport to the location and type away. I see the program's advantages: it's convenient, you get to build the world around you, build yourself from scratch--the word that comes to mind is second life is just "cool". But, what's cool isn't necessarily what's right for our society. Look at what is lost with Second Life: there is no physical interaction, there is little reality, there is no full communication. The advantages don't seem to outweigh the disadvantages. The gap between people is continuously growing further and further apart. Even if it means getting up an hour earlier to have a meeting at the office instead of online in your pjs, something is gained by interacting face to face with people.