What happened to good old communication?

I'm sad at the decline in communication in this country. The majority of people have cell phones and computers you'd think we can communicate with one another in a more direct way. I suppose with text messaging and e-mail, automated services can be expected. I don't have to like them though! I called my med. insurance company this morning. I dialed the number I usually do, I was told there was a new number (this was told to me by an automated response) I called the "new" number and was asked for my tax ID! I'm a med. Insurance customer not a provider. I followed all the prompts as I was instructed. I also gave my med. ID about 5 times to an automated system that couldn't understand me! I repeated it over and over, I now have it memorized :) I think somewhere along the way I spoke to a live person only to be transferred to another automated area and be told they were currently closed! I called back an hour or so later, same thing, the system didn't understand me after giving my ID several times, did I mention previously I began refusing to the prompt to give my ID again (lots of good that does) so finally I speak to a live person because the automated system got frustrated with me, I was told I was calling the wrong number, I was told to dial the number I had first began my morning with! Are we saving time by not talking to people? Are we getting more frustrated along the way? I usually end up speaking to a live person anyway. I wish we could go back to talking to the live people. Can anyone relate with this?