Am I the only one who thinks that the advances in communication technology, which were supposedly attempts to create better communication, have actually made communication and relationships exceedingly worse?

See if any of this rings a bell.

We have cell phones that make it possible for us to talk to anyone from anywhere at anytime - while we're driving, having lunch, on vacation or in the middle of an intimate moment with a spouse. I'm sure you've been on the other end of the line, when the person you've called is saying, "Uh-huh, yea, uh-huh", and you know darn well that they never really heard you - only the sounds of the words. Is that good communication?

Or put yourself on the other end. You're out to lunch with an old friend - someone that you haven't talked to in months. You're just getting caught up and are feeling like you're really connecting, when you hear that interloping buzz of a cell phone on vibrate. Your friend cleverly slides his hand into his pocket and oh so stealthfully takes a sneak peek at his phone to check and see whose calling. All the while, he's saying, "Uh-huh, yea, uh-huh" and you wonder if you're going to be cut off, so that he can see if perhaps what the caller has to say is more interesting. Whatever happened to quality time, where you get someone's full attention?

But let's get off of cell phones, for a minute. The other day, while I was driving down the freeway, I saw a large SUV whiz by. The parents were sitting in the front seat and the kids in the back - just like old times. Not really. The wife was on her phone and both kids were in the backseat watching television on two separate monitors! What ever happened to Mom and Dad and the kids singing songs together, laughing, playing word games, counting up the out-of-state license plates, or plain old-fashioned talking? Just when do parents spend quality time with their kids? You know, where they have the heart-to-heart talks that let's kids know that they're loved and not some contraceptive catastrophe? Is there perhaps a valid reason why kids are so lost, hurt and hopeless?

And, while we're on the topic of television, which I have chosen not to watch for the past 13 years, let's take a look at how effective it is at communication. In the span of one program, we get to see a barrage of slick commercials that tell us what's wrong with us, who we should be like and what we need to buy, so that we'll be acceptable in society. We're always "too this" or "not enough that". And instead of our kids being satisfied, when they attain this "necessary" product or procedure, they become arrogant and even more demanding.

"Feed me!" they snarl and snap, like a sci-fi plant gone mad. But, to be fair, if the kids don't have deep and meaningful relationships within their family, then is it such a surprise that they seek the love of an ingratiating store clerk? Nothing creates a deeper bond than the exchange of the hallowed credit card between the buyer and seller. Now, there's true love and acceptance - for about five minutes.

But it's not just the commercials that do damage. What about the myriad of reality shows that teach us to not only mistrust each other, but encourage the act of humiliating one another? Or the soap operas that set the bar so high that no husband or wife will ever be sexy, beautiful, buff or exciting enough, in comparison to the Botoxed Beauties and Steroidal Studs?

Even the sitcoms and cartoons encourage family members to disrespect and openly despise one another. There seems to be some sort of lack of responsibility of the damage that these animated characters cause. After all, they're not real, so who can be blamed?

But it started further back, didn't it? In the beginning, video games required two people sitting together, laughing, yelling, screaming and connecting. Now, most people only make a connection, when they fire off a snide comment, after blasting the guts out of the other player's man or monster. The chance of any real connection is almost nil, because the players are many times oceans apart.

I actually remember when the first Game Boys came on the scene. I had recently gotten married and was at my husband's family get together. The adults were out on the deck laughing and talking and my new nephew was sitting on the sofa, by himself. There he sat for the entire visit - his nose practically greasing up the screen of his new Game Boy, as he accomplished worthless points for an insignificant objective.

I had already heard about this young boy's self-esteem and loneliness, but why worry about it? After all, he was being such a "good boy" as he stayed out of the grownup's way.

But I digress, let's get back to the present. Gone are the days of perfumed, handwritten letters, where the words were carefully chosen and executed onto specially selected paper. Now, we rattle off a few abbreviations and impatiently wait for a few abbreviations to be rattled back to us. Do you find it romantic and validating to know that you're not worth the time and effort for something more esthetically pleasing and emotionally uplifting?

And aren't we always subtly reminded that no one is safe with the creation of the Internet. Within seconds, the slightest social faux pas can be loaded into the chamber of the internet shotgun and blasted into the four corners of the world for everyone to see. And there we all sit - passing judgment on total strangers, behind the veiled curtain of our anonymous email aliases. How delicious to rip someone apart, because they're frightened of getting old and made the mistake of trusting a plastic surgeon to give them back their esteem. Funny how easy it is to develop fangs, when we know that we never have to face the ones we tear apart.

And let's not forget the convenience of pornography, since the advent of the Internet. How opportune that a husband or wife can bring a multitude of perfect lovers right into the house and create a whole new standard for their spouse. It was bad enough going to the corner market and seeing these slimy magazines on the rack. Now, everyone has the opportunity of being infested, whether they want to be or not. Are you aware that it's a multi-billion dollar industry and is proven to hurt relationships and increase the number of sex crimes?

And it isn't enough that singles can use the Internet to sweep the entire world, looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right. They demand that process has got to be even a faster, so some singles insist on Instant Messaging. Yes, by all means, let's not waste any valuable time on such a meaningless venture of the life-long commitment of marriage. Oh, wait, I forgot, people don't marry for life, anymore, do they. What am I saying; they don't necessarily even marry, anymore. Silly old-fashioned girl!

There's a tender part of me, deep inside that feels cheated and violated. It's as though technology has stolen something very precious from us all. It seems that the existence of our very lives has been cheapened. We are a commodity that either produces money or we're of no value and are kicked to the societal curb.

The twisted part of this is that, in an effort to make money faster and more efficiently, humans chose to accelerate technology and have sacrificed the very thing that really matters on this earth - their lives and relationships with each other.