Reach out and text someone

Do you talk on the phone with your friends and family? I don’t. Nowadays, much of my personal communication is through text messaging.

Years ago, I spoke by phone for purely social purposes. I'd call a pal for no particular reason and we’d talk for a while. Now, I’m more likely to text an amigo for no particular reason (“how r u?") and we'll text for a while. However, the phone wasn’t necessarily my first choice then. There was no texting, so it was the only immediate form of communication. I definitely would have texted if I had the opportunity.

Why don’t I like calling? It’s neither here nor there – immediate, yet distant. I prefer that communication either be in writing or in person. So, I’d rather have little idea of the context in which someone in saying something – thus the popularity of smiley face emoticons like :)  – or be able to pick up on someone’s body language. I’ve often heard two-thirds of communication is non-verbal, and so you obviously can’t read physical cues unless you can see the other person.

Jerry Seinfeld opened a “Seinfeld” episode with a stand-up routine in which he noted the answering machine allowed people to avoid talking. He discussed the fact that nobody wants to speak on the phone anymore, and we only want to exchange voice messages. That episode premiered 25 years ago – long before the mass use of mobile phones – but his thoughts are even truer now than they 
were then. In the past, I would have at least left a message. Now, if someone doesn’t answer I’m more likely to hang up and then send a text message (“tried calling. u didnt pick up. call back.”). I find there’s something silly about leaving a spoken message that goes something like, "Hi... It’s Eli... Uhhhh... Call me back... Yeah, do that."

Jerry Seinfeld on voice messages.  

I was curious how many minutes I talk on my cell phone, so I looked at my account online. From early July through early August – my billing cycle – I spoke a total of 201 minutes and I sent 138 text messages. The previous month (June to July), I spoke 286 minutes and sent 163 messages. What does this suggest? Well, I can tell you one thing: all of those messages would have been minutes in years past. no wha im sayin? ​