The more we can 'communicate' ....

... the more we don't.

I guess it's the sign, or the cartoon, of the times.

This one, though, is from the New Yorker magazine. (Kudos to our neighbors for giving us their old issues).

With all of our communication abilities, from "smart" phones to Skype to Facebook, it seems easier now to ignore more people.

That's easy for me to say since my Facebook page is blank.

I don't tweet (or is it Twitter?) but I do blog.

Try explaining that to someone 20 years ago or 20 years from now. Twitter and Blogger will be replaced by other humorous-sounding applications.

Google may become Giggle. Or has it already?

Bing could lose its Ping, or vice-versa.

The "iGeneration" could give way to the "uGeneration."

The point is, we live in a silly age filled with gadgets that don't really enrich out lives. They just make our lives more expensive.

I guess that's the point of it all. Why buy a netbook for $300 when you can get a perfectly serviceable iPad for $600? The money ends up in the same place: China.

Get a "dumb" phone for $40 like I have or a real "smart" one for $400. Either way, China wins.

But, does any of that matter if we're all ignoring each other no matter what the cost?

Or is it just me?

Am I the only one who doesn't reply to e-mails from Staples or texts from T-Mobile or phone messages from credit bureaus?

Perhaps I am. Maybe I'm just out of touch with the reality of others.