“Ambient intimacy” sounds about right
From Disambiguity via loose wire. I have a similar post on hallway conversations (not nearly as nicely phrased) that I will port over this week:
Ambient intimacy is about being able to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible. Flickr lets me see what friends are eating for lunch, how they’ve redecorated their bedroom, their latest haircut. Twitter tells me when they’re hungry, what technology is currently frustrating them, who they’re having drinks with tonight.