'The death of the telephone call'

It's my mom. Who could fit both categories simultaneously.

My aunt, who is the same age as my mom, texts... probably because her daughter, son-in-law, and three grandsons live on the other coast. I communicate with her far more willingly.

For me, it's about accommodating the schedule and preferred method of communication of the person you're trying to reach.

I still haven't gotten into the habit of texting the high school athletes I cover before I call. But it makes them much more likely to reply quickly, and to pick up the phone for the interview.

 

I actually talked to her for a minute. She did it because she's part of a healthy eating club and was trying to show other members what ingredients she was using for dinner that night. She said she also streams the cooking of the items she just bought.

That seemed spectacularly inefficient and redundant to me, but whatevs.

 

Did you guys include a scene by the cucumbers?

 

I only suggestively use phallic vegetables with one woman.

 

I use my office landline these days about as often as I use a hotel telephone, which is to say close to never. Most often it's to tell our receptionist to put a would-be cold caller into voicemail.

Anybody with whom I regularly communicate uses my cell phone these days and 90 pct. of the time it's a text. If I had to rely on athletes taking phone calls or (hahahahahahaha) returning messages, I would probably have less than a third of the response rate I get from texting.

 

So that's what happened when I called last week ...

 

Pay ransom to the phone company to get your number unlisted.

 

Texting > talking on the phone

 

Judging from this thread, phone calls these days sounds like a real hoot.

 

I'm probably in the oldest profession that still relies on the phone, somewhat. I've got a direct number and some clients use it but mostly if they miss me I get an email.

I'm old school; I prefer a phone call with an email/text and in-person >>>>> phone >>>> text/email

I try to emphasize to my boys that look there's a whole world going on outside of the screen; human interaction is an essential part of life.

 

I dumped my landline a couple of years ago and couldn't be happier. If I need to get online at home, I use the hot spot on my iPhone or I just use my phone to surf.

I get a few telemarketer calls, but I screen those thanks to Caller ID. If I don't recognize the caller, I let it go to voicemail and if it's important and legit, I'll call back.

 

I hate making phone calls. Almost always have, even before texting. With caller ID I pretty much never answer the phone unless I know who it is and even then I quickly ask if I even want to talk to that person right then. I do talk to my parents weekly. That's the main phone conversations I have.

I look back to pre-caller ID days and wonder how anyone did it! Even at jobs into the mid-2000s we didn't have it on office phones. Just blindly answering a call is a crazy thought any more.