Some of the intangible downside risks of increasingly "virtual" interaction within rural community
include the possible "de-socialization" of individuals who have less and less direct contact with their
peers, their co-workers, and their community. This can extend to family relations as well, particularly if technology creates further imbalances between those who are "on-line", and those without access to
these technologies. On the other hand, equitable deployment of infrastructure and educational
resources could provide a means of maintaining and expanding family and communal ties that would
otherwise be broken by distance and cost.