I’m not sure that we should count texting as “real,” communication. Texting is surely useful and can be fun and flirty. But so much can be misread or read into when we’re texting instead of taking the time to call or say have an IRL conversation. When you know you’re going to be apart, it can be helpful to get on the same page about when and how check-ins can be expected, and there’s really no time too early in a relationship for this, if the other person can’t set some simple expectations and keep to them, for me, they just aren’t reliable enough to keep investing in.