Samantha, There are many advances in technology providing live audiovisual communications within the online learning platform. If the instructional environment is designed appropriately and makes use of multiple technologies, this may actually be able to enhance basic social skills for interaction with others by requiring communications via multiple channels. Real-time audiovisual communications, professional and casual written communications, creation of presentation materials and many others however, if the platform is relegated to a mainly textbased communication style then this constraint will almost certainly worked the development of basic social skills to interact with others. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt