Yeah it really wasn't so far off now. Most of the people I knew had a cell phone (I had gotten it in '99) so there was definitely communication possible anywhere for the most part. In 2002 I was in a student apartment with decent wired internet, a Nokia cell phone (no texting plan), and was in touch with many people via AIM.

The mid 90's is probably more the time to blow the current generation's mind because that's when many households didn't have internet and virtually nobody under 18 had a cell phone.