In our turbulent world of uprisings and natural disasters, social and mobile media are playing a vital role in connecting people. From protesters using Twitter to organize and Facebook posts serving as a way for friends and family to spread the word about the tsunami in Japan (see FB map here), the impact and utility of both are staggering. Even the US State Department used Twitter last week to inform Americans how to contact families and friends in Asia.

Few would argue the benefits of social media in the context of recent world events. But how is the technology impacting our day-to-day relationships? In all of our connectedness, it’s easy to feel disconnected, argues MIT’s Sherry Turkle, author of Alone Together, who will speak at the Festival this summer. Others who will join the in-person conversation include Twitter founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone, Pete Cashmore of the mondo blog Mashable, and Arianna Huffington, fresh off the heels of The Huffington Post merger with AOL.

Image: Arianna Huffington