I prefer to text or email

JackyB ?

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.

Surprisex sound fun, though!

Surprised to hear

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

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.

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 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.

Forgot the

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

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

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 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.

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 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!

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.

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'!

I like talking to my friends and sister on the phone ,but not if anyone is in the room listening. I prefer daytime calls as in the evening , as others have said , I'm either cooking dinner, eating dinner , or engrossed in a TV programme.

glad I am not the only one ..

I'm not keen on phone chatting either. I regard phones as instruments for 'conversations of purpose' rather than chatter. And except where a phone conversation is the quickest and easiest, or the only option, then I'd rather email or text, or even write a letter.

Except that it's "in your ear", I suppose I regard phone calls as a bit "in your face", demanding, allowing less time for considered response.

On the whole I prefer texting to phone calls for all the reasons mentioned. But has anyone else got a friend like mine who will send a text or leave a voice message and then before you can reply turns it off so as not to waste the battery? .

I much prefer texting or e-mailing. It means you don't risk calling at a bad time and also gives you time to think about your message. I can never think what to say if I phone someone up, either that or I gabble on in a desperate sort of way and sound ridiculous.

Yes I'm another, I prefer texting it's so quick, or if I have more to say an email. Friends and I text to arrange to meet up, I prefer to have conversations face to face. There are a couple of people I know who phone and my heart sinks, usually it's in the evening when I just want to be quiet and I know it's going to be a long one, an hour and a half was the last one I had of this nature because I find it very difficult to extricate myself with one particular friend when she is full flow. I feel my responses are like Sybill Fawlty's "oooh yes I know" ad infinitum, I'm not a phone person anymore.

I think it's also because you can think carefully about what you put and edit before sending. I tend to mumble , giggle , get lost for words or say the wrong thing!

I also hate talking on the phone unless it is something important that cant wait . I text or email .
I honestly thought it was me because I am a bit antisocial these days . I prefer my own company interspersed with the odd visitor , when I think back I have always been a bit like this and I don`t think it is a particularly good trait to have . I wish I was a bit more sociable and confident .