Chating online with my friends

The good thing about speaking with my friends online is that it did not cost me that much money. Also, in some situations it let me be in touch with my friends most of the time more than cell phones. For example, when I came to the United States of America I can not call all my friends from time to time because it is going to cost me too much money, but after I suggested using online chatting, it did not cost me that much money. Moreover, there are some problems when I speak to my friends online. Sometimes I think there is no serious talk between us; it is all going to be asking how we are doing, playing together and kidding. Also we are losing time more than with other kinds of communication, and these problems come from the fact that we do not talk seriously, we are just having fun. Also, sometimes it does not let me pay attention to what he or she said. Finally, there is one more thing that I don't know the answer for, which is that sometimes I talk more openly to my friends than with the other kinds of communications.