People, in my opinion, are less connected than ever - I mean true and real connection, not being "friends" on Facebook - and I think that concepts like this, done right, help to close the gaps that exist between people; it's not suitable for all workplaces but I think it has merit.
I am of the same opinion. Real encounters cannot be replaced by virtual ones. the connection cannot be the same. But it is a trend. Since covid almost all the people I see are on-line, and people don't understand how important personal contact is for me, the information that is lost because we don't see each other in person. I don't know, I guess we live in a time where quantity is more important than quality.