Over the past ten years, texting has become a huge part of our daily lives. But, as it turns out, making an actual phone call is still the most popular way to communicate, and there are lots of reasons why.
A recent survey revealed that the majority of adults–56 percent–would rather make a call than text, and texting is at a distant 25 percent for the preferred type of communication. People prefer phone calls even more–76 percent–when it comes to sharing a special moment or news with family and friends. Even Millennials–notoriously incessant texters–admitted to preferring calling when it came to important news. So, you’re probably wondering just why calling trumps texting. Well, here are a few compelling reasons:
- Less Time Consuming
This one may come as a surprise, but as much as we think texting saves time, you actually spend less time communicating information with a call. As fast as your fingers may type, the delayed back and forth volley of texting will never be as fast as picking up the phone and having a conversation. This is especially true when it comes to sharing important news or for business. - More Clarity
Phone calls are not only the best way to hear someone’s voice clearly, but they also enable you to understand the meaning of what someone is saying than texting. Texting is very prone to misinterpretation –even between close friends and family– because you can’t tell the tone of someone’s voice with text, which informs a lot of what they are saying. And if something is misunderstood on a phone call, it’s much easier and faster to clear up the confusion, instead of the painful waiting that happens with texting. - Friendlier
There’s no question–hearing someone’s voice is much friendlier than the cold, mechanical transaction of texting. Texting is very task-based, which doesn’t allow for the warmth of friendly chit-chat that occurs with a phone call. And, for the record, emojis are not a great substitute for sharing actual emotions on a call. - Protect Your Vision
Throughout our busy digital-based lives, we’re constantly staring at screens–computers, televisions, tablets, and, of course, phones! Staring at those tiny pixels and bright light wavelengths from screens for most of the day puts a potentially dangerous amount of strain on our eyes. Give your eyes a rest and make a call instead. - More Depth
You may be able to tell someone what time the movie starts with a text, but there’s no way to relay how the movie really affected you emotionally without making a phone call. When it comes to sharing important life news, a phone call enables you to have a much deeper conversation than a text. Even lighthearted, daily conversations can lead to sharing more thoughtful exchanges than texts ever could. - No Auto-Correct
Texting is notoriously plagued by the frustration of the auto-correct function – when the phone automatically changes a word in your text to what it thinks you meant to type. Often times the function can lead to confusing, if not embarrassing, changes to what we were typing, something that most of us have experienced at one time or another. - Show You Value Their Time
We all lead busy lives, yet by taking the time to make a phone call shows that you care enough to take a break from all of that to devote you attention to them. Sure, you may be multi-tasking while on the call–washing dishes, walking the dog–but you can tell if someone’s attention slips away from the call. When you’re texting you could be doing just about anything else–except for truly giving the person your time and attention. - Just The Two Of You
When you talk on the phone with someone, you’re sharing a special connection that is only between you two. The same can’t be said about a text, which can be shown to others or consulted over with others before sending. A phone call is in real time, not the delayed back and forth of text, and makes the shared moment all the more special.
Do any of these reasons have you convinced that calling trumps texting? Why not make a call to a special friend or family member right now, then?
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