This seems like solipsism at its absolute worst. Do you care at all about the actual human being on the other end of that superficial online friendship? Or are they simply a source of content for you to ingest?
The real culprits are revealed. Despite its flaws, Hacker News does foster real discussion that sometimes leads to real connection. Big online social spaces tend to do the opposite.
It's all about the topic. "How are doing today johnecheck" "want to get shoot the shit over a beer?" said no one ever.
Nonetheless I do. I suspect it's due to the relatively high average comment quality. I'm looking for a strong taste of belonging in a digital community. That nibble from HN evokes the same tantalizing possibility as rare discord servers and subreddits once did. None satisfy.