How many ways do you communicate?

My mornings tend to start similarly each time: I reach over and check my phone for the time and for any missed messages while I was asleep. First thing upon getting out of bed, I open my laptop to check my email and say "hello" to my friends in a Skype message. Then I'm checking my email and Facebook until I get a text message asking if I want to get brunch with some of my other school friends, after which I finally get dressed and ready to begin my day.

All of this communication and planning, and I haven't even uttered a single word out loud yet.

Each day, it seems like we communicate in dozens of different ways. From texting with or talking on our phones, to instant or video messaging on our laptops, it's almost impossible not to stay constantly connected these days. It's interesting to see just how many different ways we use to keep in touch with one another.

Personally, I use Skype messages and texting the most. My local friends tend to keep in touch this way, and half the messages in my phone's inbox are asking if I'd like to join them for lunch or dinner. Skype is the way I keep in touch with my best friend who's states away. While I text him too, we prefer typing over the computer as it's a faster way to talk than texting on the phone. Of course, we'll video-call each other as well from time to time, but the point is as long as our laptops are open, we can instantly communicate with one another.

Looking around, I know I'm not the only one who's this connected, and I know these aren't the only ways to keep in touch. Even with Skype, which I usually use just on my laptop, I find that sometimes I log into it on my phone as well, blurring the lines between my "computer" and "phone" communications. I see people using services like Snapchat or HeyTell to talk to one another, and even social game apps like Words with Friends or Ruzzle have chat areas where players can talk to each other.

I use texting and Skype messaging the most because it seems that through those two means of communication, I can reach the entirety of my friends. I think though that some people use these other programs and apps because they're more "fun" and add something you can't get in a "typical" conversation.

I know I'm almost dependent on these as well. Without Skype and texting, communication with my friend would be quite slow since I can't just walk over and visit him to talk. Getting lunch or dinner with my friends would be a game of knowing friends' schedules and preferred time to eat. And while it wouldn't mean the end of the world, in this day and age of instant gratification, it'd certainly feel slow.

But that leads me to ask, what's a "typical" conversation these days? Are text messages as typical as face-to-face talking, or perhaps even more so? What about Snapchats and HeyTells and everything else? What ways do you use to communicate every day, and why do you use them versus other means? How would your day change if these means of communication were taken away? Any other thoughts on how you communicate using today's technology?