<p>I’ve followed this thread since its inception and one thought I’ve had is related to the comments of many parents on how often we called our parents when we were in college. Most of us were subject to the policies and rates of AT&T in its monopolistic days. Long distance calls were pricey and that fact alone constrained communication among family members. I think the shift towards more communication is obviously due to the fact that technology has flattened the world and we can, easily and for minimal cost, communicate with a host of folks via phone calls, text messages, e-mails, and instant messages. I think the only challenge is in finding what is the correct balance for your family. For those parents who want more communication than their teenager wants to offer, obviously both will have to compromise (or if parents pay the phone bill, maybe kids will have to acquiesce entirely). Otherwise, if everyone is happy, what difference does it make how often we speak to our children or to our parents?</p>