i have a friend whom i've been messaging with a lot on facebook.  he's like my "textmate" i guess, but we just use facebook, since we both have smartphones and have the facebook app.  there have been days in which i wouldn't message him the whole day, by the afternoon, he'll message me and ask me why i haven't messaged him at all.  needless to say, it has become a part of our daily routine.

last night, he messaged me asking to hang out over bubbletea.  we were waiting on our other friend to respond so we can confirm the time and the place and eventually, she texted me back.  i was back and forth co-ordinating with him through facebook message and with her through text.  the silly thing was, they were co-ordinating with me and a couple of hours later, i finally called her up and confirmed what's the plan and i found out, they were together during those times shopping away!  seriously?!  they couldn't have come up with the plan, talked it out, and one of them just call me?!  it was a bit irritating, but they're you're friends...what the hey...

about a couple of mins away from reaching my destination, i got another text from my friend asking where i was.  i called her up saying i'll be there in 2 and soon enough, i met up with them.  when we finally sat down, getting settled, i put my phone away.  i always go to this place so i already knew what i want but my other friend was so glued to her phone, she simply just uttered, "i'm having what she's having".  the night continued as that...

my one friend was glued to her iphone while my other friend was continually texting with his buddy on his blackberry.  i sat there staring into space and i'd get so bored and so i checked my phone...apparently, my friend messaged me also on facebook...to ask if i'm already near the area.  i mean, they both asked me, on different ways, to see if i was close by.  it doesn't even make sense.  if i'm driving, i'm more likely to respond to a call than a message.  but the idea alone that they were together, yet they somehow felt the need to ask me separately lol.

back to "hanging out"....so for the most part of the night, the girl was on her iphone and the dude was on his blackberry.  sometimes i would check my phone since they're both preoccupied, then i felt silly..because all 3 of us sitting on the table, sipping on bubbletea, not talking cuz we're on our phones.  eventually i just gave up and put my phone in my purse and stared out the window...perhaps they'll get the hint.  blackberry dude would still tell a story and stop to reply to his friend.  to get the girl's attention, he'd text her stupid things and after we all have a laugh out of it, she's back on her phone.  is this how the future will hold? will we hang out together and instead of talking, we're communicating to each other through our social network?

also today, my home girl just posted her birthday details for this coming wkend.  when i picked her up for lunch today, she asked me if i've seen her facebook invite.  i said yes and her follow-up question, "so why didn't you write on the wall?"  then i asked, "couldn't i just tell you now?" and she continued to tell me to read the rest of the info on the event wall.  this girl, whom i've known for over a decade is telling me to look up her bday info on facebook, while she's sitting on the passenger seat of my car...wow!

if that's not enough,  i didn't even know there was a dinner at my cousin's house.  i saw one of my cousin's post and i thought it was a small party since i wasn't informed specifically.  i thought since we're family and i was in the area, they wouldn't mind if i crashed and ate their food.  as i walked in, all of my other families were there.  seriously?!  i had to find out through facebook about this?

don't get me wrong, i'm not hating on my friends who uses the technology but is everyone like this now?  we are so attached to this social network and convenient way of inviting people that we are starting to forget how to actually provide simple information or simply how to communicate face-to-face?

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