My sister Erica is using BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) to talk to our friend Christabel from Ghana. It goes to show how technology can really bring people together. Or it would, if the two weren't sitting side by side having dinner.
It seems phones have become part of every meal. At any time, I can look around and see people at the dinner table sending text messages.
But as wonderful as technology is - and as useful as it is in helping people communicate from a distance - I can't help but feel that people are missing out on what's happening in the here and now.
When something funny happens, the person on the phone looks up and wants to know what they missed. Even though they were right there.
Should we all be sitting at home texting each other - would we have better conversations?
Mobile phone ownership reached saturation point in 2002. Most of my friends had cellphones by Form Five. My first phone was small and grey, with a dancing ogre screen saver. Now I have a smartphone - I can check my e-mail, read the news, listen to music, navigate, check the weather or the time anywhere in the world ... all in the palm of my hand.