Social networking should reduce friction between humans around the world by 2020, but the technology could also rob people of face-to-face relationships and foster shallower relationships, according to a new survey of top tech leaders and experts.

Still, the benefits of social media should "far outweigh" the negative impacts over the next 10 years, according to the Pew Research Center study released last week.

The center's Internet & American Life Project and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center surveyed 895 experts, including research scientists, business leaders and entrepreneurs, consultants, authors and technology developers. Last month, Pew released results of a poll of the same group on the future of cloud computing in 2020.

In the latest study, 85 percent said the Internet has mostly had a positive effect on their social world -- friendships, marriages and other relationships.

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