Communication Changes with Technology!

I recall about 5-6 years ago my gal pal and I having this very intense conversation about cell phones and lovers. You see, this was at a time, when neither of us had a cell phone. Yes, such a time existed. When I first moved out on my own, I just had a landline. Plus, I had dial up internet. Oh yes, now you realize what a long time ago this was. :P

Anyways, she was dating this boat captain lad wanna be firefighter (he was kinda cute) and he had gone out with the boys to some town for the day. They were suppose to meet up that night and she never heard from him. She was quite upset. It turns out that he was out w/ his buds and his cell phone died. He couldn't call her, because he doesn't know her number.

Well, us both being non-cell phone users. We just couldn't fathom somebody not knowing somebody's number. Especially somebody that they were dating. How could you not know their number? If you really liked them, then you had it memorized? No? Isn't it so? She talked about dumping him and I was in support.

Fast forward to present day and I don't know a single friend's number. I couldn't even guess a single number that exists. Is it 416, 905, 647..I've no clue. The cell phone just tells me who's calling, doesn't even show me the number, so I'd have a vague recollection. Now I can totally understand what this guy was saying, when he didn't know the numbers. I would never freak out over such a situation or support another's freak out.

PRESENT DAY...well minus 5 days.

I flew home on Sunday from Canmore, AB and was awaiting an e-mail, text, call from new lad to be all 'have a safe trip' or 'did you get home safe?' - I got a few from others, so why wouldn't he? Turns out that when I got home, I updated my status on twitter (jaystewart82) and facebook and so he knew that I was safe. I didn't see it that way, I thought that he should've communicated in some way.

We come to last night and I wasn't in much of a mood to chat and so cut a convo on MSN only to read on his twitter later on that he was suffering from an ailment. He didn't bring it up nor did I ask how he was. But the status update let me know. I asked about it and got into some shit for not asking about his day.

Have we now come to a time, where we don't really need to communicate w/ each other? We can just read their updates and are fully aware of their lives. Can we go months/years without seeing certain friends and yet feel that we're kinda still in touch w/ them?