Why bother with email and phones???????

Marty and I have email, our cell phones have voicemail, our home phone has voicemail, we both can text, I write a blog, we have call waiting ( I admit that I hate it and it's rarely used), and we have a fax machine. All of this is so our friends, doctors, clients, whoever can get in touch with us. We even have TIVO so we can pause the program if we get a call. We also have caller Id which comes up on the phone, on one of our TVs, and even has a voice. I can't figure out how to turn off the voice.

Marty and I grew up in a time when phone calls were expensive and important. So if the phone rings we feel we must answer it. We could screen calls and ignore the world. (We don't usually answer if we have company) We could not respond to email. We could never listen to our voicemail. But the point of all this tech stuff is to be in touch, to be available. We try hard to get back to people as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours. I feel if you don't respond, you are just rude.

We know people who never ever answer their home phone, sometimes answer the cell, their voicemail usually says mailbox full for days, and they rarely respond to email. Maybe it is just us they are hiding from. But we have heard others complain they never get a call back or any response. Why hide behind this technology? It would be cheaper to do away with the voicemails and give up the email. Then no one could bother them.

Again my question why bother? Who are they hiding from?