I prefer to text or email

But my husband sometimes says when I come in'x phoned- I said you'd phone back' ! I think 'oh no, I just wanted to put my feet up'!

DD and I usually text, but if we start firing off a whole lot of texts at each other we will give up and pick up the phone. I have two old friends who don't seem to text at all. The result is that I don't often speak to them because I've got to plan when the best time to ring it.

I just love all these posts! For years, I thought I was weird because I don't like phoning people just to 'chat' and feel tongue-tied if they ring me, (as well as resentful because the timing is always awkward). And now I discover that I'm not alone, in fact, I'm probably completely normal if GN posters are a representative sample. Phew, what a relief!

Depends on the person really. Some people I can chat to as if they're in the room next to me and others I just don't know what to say. I don't phone many people these days as I feel as if I'm taking up their time, whereas with an email you can read it in your own time. I do chat to my cousin at least once a week; we can natter away for ages. Tend to keep in touch with people via facebook now [have only just discovered it].

I spend a lot of time all day on the phone at work, but when it comes to private phone calls, I have never had the sort of thoughts expressed in this thread - I am amazed! Admittedly, the phone doesn't often ring at home, but if it does and it's a near or dear one, or even if it isn't, I drop everything to talk to them (well, actually, I carry on, if I'm doing something like sorting the washing or peeling potatoes, with the phone tucked between ear and shoulder - I wish I had a headset like we do at work, to prevent cricks in necks and back problems.)

My mother, who is 95, enjoys chatting on the phone in the evening, but has remarked that no one phones her - it's always her that rings them. I phone her every evening, but if she wants to talk to her sister, or her recently bereaved neighbour, or her nephews or nieces, she has to make the call. She was a secretary all her life, so phone conversation is quite natural for her.

Before the internet, talking on the phone to someone you didn't know was a great way of getting to know them without the inhibitions or prejudices that can be caused by their appearance, which might colour your opinion of them if you could see them.

I like e-mail rather than texts as my phone is very small and my fingers are clunky. the phone only rings if its family or the endless women my husband converses with re bowls (he says).

I prefer to met up with people to chat or often use various social media. The phone is irritating as it always rings at the wrong moment and some people never no when to get off it.

I rarely ring friends, usually text or email, because I never know if they will be busy and I wouldn't want to interrupt them. I do have one friend who will text me and say she is going to ring at a certain time

Hello and the rudeness of the telephone, Stephen Fry on QI.

Forgot the

I have been around a friend of mine when her landline has rung, and probably quite rightly she answered with "I can't talk to you now I have a friend here can we speak later", or alternatively on other occasions not answer at all, with the comment " I never make it too easy, if someone wants to reach me they will keep trying and I prefer to talk when it's convenient to me" I find the landline very intrusive, even my mother, when she was still alive contacted me on my mobile, but I made sure I was always available to talk to her. I wouldn't have a landline at all if we could receive broadband without it.

This thread has confirmed that most of us feel the same.

It's just me then! I love talking on the phone - I love talking full stop.
I hate texting. Things can be taken the wrong way with texting in my
experience. I have texted something quite innocent and have had replies such as 'what do you mean by that?' or 'are you OK, you don't sound it?' I don't sound it? They can tell from a text? I have also inadvertently sent texts to the wrong person. I suppose I'm just an old dinosaur.

I am so pleased to read most of these posts.
After a working life having to deal with people on the phone, my DH and I refuse to use it these days unless we have to or unless its close family. Our phone is programmed with a different ring for family members, their calls get picked up but all others go to voicemail. If someone wants to contact us badly enough they will leave a message. And "business" callers are always asked to email us so that we have a record of what is said.

When I used to teach english as a basic skill to adults they all said they preferred to phone. Probably because they were not confident about their spelling/grammar etc. they were surprisex to hera that i preferred emailing

Surprised to hear

Surprisex sound fun, though!

I've just thought of another aspect of this. When I am talking to someone in person, I find it very difficult to get a word in. On the phone, you only have voice contact, so the other person has to wait till you've finished before they can talk. A friend of my husband's is very annoying because he jumps in with "Pardon" before I've even finished the first sentence.

Of course, the best platform for getting your word in edgeways is forums like here on gransnet - no one will interrupt while I'm typing this.

JackyB ?

I text and email,but like phone calls,especially from
my daughter who phones me every day when she
gets home from work ? .

My parents had completely opposing views on phone calls. This was way before texting or emails. For Dad it was short and a bit abrupt- just something to state a fact; "we will come and see you Friday, if that's OK. Expect us about seven, then. Bye".
Mum would talk for hours on the phone telling her sisters it was a good drying day and she had pegged the sheets out now she was making some soup but was going shopping later oh yes and did you see Corrie last night, that Elsie Tanner, ooh there's a name for people like her......."
Dad would be sitting there rolling his eyes and worrying about the phone bill.

I am amazed at the responses on this thread. I thought it was only me who feared/hated phone calls and preferred the written word.

My gripe is that people have a sense of entitlement that you speak to them if they ring you. If I ignore a call, perhaps I am busy or don't want to talk. I don't HAVE to speak to a caller. Have one friend who will keep calling back if on landline and mobile if you don't pick up rather than leave a message and wait for you to return call.

I'm with KatyK - and obviously in the minority! I enjoy a chat on the phone, but it takes two. I used to have half an hour most days with my late Mum and do miss that. The friends I have long chats with are more her generation, and younger peeps seem to chat through their thumbs on their phones! Maybe long phone calls are going the way of the old-fashioned letter?

My mum would ring me every morning with some question or other but Dad never used the phone. Nowadays I never ring anyone apart from my eldest son when we've texted back and forth for ages and its easier to just ring him. I don't really like texting either - I'd far rather e-mail but that's not really very easy with friends who don't use it. At work I mail everyone and rarely use the phone - mostly because I then have a record of what the response has been to refer back to and also trying to understand foreign people is not easy on the phone. Even conference calls I do by Skype whenever possible.

defo email -I hate disturbing people with the phone and invariably they're out and you end up playing answer phone table tennis for days. Texting is a bit too short and blunt.

I am truly amazed that so many of us are so uncomfortable with the talking on the phone. I'd really thought I was one of the only one's.

I'd put down my 'phobia' to the years of only having public phone boxes to use. To be waiting for ages in the cold, then getting to the box and found it stunk of urine ~ to be part way through my conversation and then having the next person banging on the door demanding I finish. I'm even having palpitations just recalling all this. (Also my hearing is definitely dodgy, which certainly doesn't help).

If I do need to make a phone call I have to take time to emotionally prepare myself, building up my courage and mentally scripting my opening phrase ~ even to my own children.