With improvements of today's technology, it's easier to stay in touch with your friends and family. Years ago, you had to depend on mailing letters and a phone call here and there. Since the development of popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, it can make you feel as if your friends and family are just a few minutes away. Since many companies are offering cheap cable and internet packages, it makes it easier to stay connected to the Internet 24 hours a day.

One popular way to stay connected with your friends is using a webcam. Most new laptops already come equipped with webcams. For others who have desktops or laptops without webcams, there are affordable webcams that can be purchased for 20 or lower. Programs that use webcams include Skype and instant messengers such as Yahoo Messenger. When you purchase cable and internet bundles, your company may give you information about popular messengers such as Skype or Yahoo Messenger to make 'free phone-calls' to friends and family.

To keep your family up to date about what's going on in your lives, you can update an online photo album. You can post photos on blogs, websites such as Facebook or upload them to photo-sharing websites such as Flickr or Photo Bucket. If your friends missed a party or special event, you don't have to wait for them to visit you to see the photos. You can share them instantly by uploading them to a website. Be sure that you have purchased from a dependable provider so that your connection can handle a lot of photo uploads.

Since email has come along, many no longer have to depend on 'snail mail' to hear from their friends and email. Our mobile phones can even be set to tell us when we have an email. Email is a popular way that friends, families and even businesses stay in touch each day. Email is efficient for sharing quick messages, photos, web-links, recipes and more. When you have access to cable and Internet bundles, you can have access to your email every hour, minute and second of the day. It's like sending a free letter straight to someone's house in just seconds.

Sending text messages either by phone or instant messengers online also allows us to stay connected to our friends all day. Instant messengers have been installed on phones as well as the choice to download them on computers too. By sending just a few text messages, we can instantly send important information or even a friendly hello to friends and family in a matter of seconds.

Participating on social networks has also become a popular way for families and friends to stay in contact. Individuals can update their status and let others know where they are or what they are doing. Websites such as Facebook and MySpace allow you to share photos and videos with selected friends and families too.

Companies make it easy for everybody to stay connected by offering a variety of Internet packages. By purchasing Internet bundles, it can be more affordable to pay for combined cable and Internet services. With the availability and advancement of the Internet, we can feel closer to our family and friends-even if they are miles away.