New Tech, New Ties: Mobile communications and bonds

Just quick: We were talking about Rutgers and the suicide. Someone asked if the roommate knew that the kid was gay. My roommate was watching the news and they said that the roommate had been posting on twitter how the boy was making out with other guys in the room.

On page 3 Ling says that "mobile communication seems to strengthen communication within the circle of friends." Do you agree with this statement even though it is now easier to ignore someones text or phone call? Is communication truly strengthened when most of the communication taking place on a mobile phone is text and "text talk" is as short and fast as possible? When we cannot see facial expressions or hear voice inflections?

On page 11 Ling says "once a bond is forged, however, mediated interaction is often as effective as co-present..." But what if a bond is not already established? Thanks to networks like Facebook it is easier to meet someone online and never meet face-to-face to establish a bond. Will mediated interaction still be just as effective then?