Can texting replace phone calls?

I do have a couple of WhatsApp groups on my phone. Just reading your post MaudLillian, I agree phone calls often come when I'm cooking dinner, serving it up or when we are eating it.

I like to text to arrange a meet up with friends, I'd rather talk face to face. I'm not so keen on long drawn out phone conversations. I've had one or two that have gone into an hour and half, where I seem to end up the "listening" side often during the evening which is not a particularly good time for me, after an hours gone by I just want to wind it up and sometimes it's difficult to extricate myself with one particular friend because most of it is musing about life in general. So yeah a text to arrange a meet up is preferable.

I find most phone chats annoying and time wasting. Invariably somebody will ring at a most inconvenient time - such as when I'm trying to cook dinner. So I much prefer texts, which, like in the old days of letters, wait for your convenience for a reply. If I want to talk to people I arrange to see them for coffee or lunch. My family visits once a week or so. One of my sons is in Vietnam at the moment - we use Facebook video call once a fortnight. I like getting texts - they make me feel involved in people's lives and are not intrusive. The phone ring tone seems like one big nag to me! I've not installed Whatsapp because I already have my phone company repeatedly telling me I'm short of storage space and the apps I already have can't be updated unless I create some space! This, of course, is very irritating, since I don't want to delete photographs etc.

Both calls and texts are out these days, according to DS. WhatsApp, Messenger and the like are in.

I think a text is the equivalent of a quick note just to say 'thinking of you', while a phone call is more like a proper letter.

I love chatty phone calls, however, I also love texts. They are two different things. I can scroll through my texts which remind me of, say, when my friend is on holiday and where she is going, when the theatre tickets are for and how much they cost, when a friends hospital appointment is, etc etc . So many things ‘lost in the ether’ if not in a text message. It also makes me look as though my memory is sharper than it is !

I prefer texts. I find it easier to say no by text, whereas a phone invite often catches me unaware, then I usually end up agreeing to some request or other that I really should have declined- so texts for me. Also don't have to listen to long one-sided phone chats without getting a word in- just the occasional yawn!

My sister and I didn't speak for twenty five years, even though I contacted her regularly to try to find out what the problem was. It proved to be so trivial. Thanks to my regular letters to her, we got back together about seven years ago. Now, all she wants is contact by email. Her reasons? She has two dogs and doesn't like people coming to the house. She won't leave the dogs. She doesn't like talking on the phone (our contact over the seven years was by me phoning her every Monday at an agrred time). Keep contact to email only.

It hurts ... but not as much as the first time did. I now don't send emails. It doesn't mean 'family' to me.

I tend to email people nowadays more than anything.

I also prefer texting to talking.

As regards phone calls, it depends who I’m talking to.
One or two friends I don’t mind a chat with. But I don’t appreciate early morning calls from Dd asking me to look after dgs at short notice because she is tired and can’t cope.
The land line rental with virgin keeps going up and up and would dearly like to dispense with it, but it’s part of the package unfortunately.

We are managing to have a long conversation on this thread with not a word spoken. Texts and emails won’t replace phone calls for people who like to chat. I accept all forms of communication from family and friends. No need to criticise any of it.
Meg ??

I have friend who I text often. Why? because she is so long winded I dread getting her on the phone. Over an hour can go by. Texting has been the best thing since sliced bread!

Maybe we're just so busy we can't make time to talk on the phone? I think texting is very useful for appointments and quick messages, but when it comes to my sister in law using saccharine texts as her main method of communication, where the texting doesn't reflect real thoughts or feelings as a spoken conversation does, I get frustrated and quite cross. I fully understand why people find texting quick messages useful, but how can it replace conversation?

I also like it that I can multi text to the whole family.

Parsley ‘ Texts are little notes .

Love that idea ??

I always text my daughter and son (41 & 38) as we are all quite chatty! If I call them they know it's important and I need to speak reasonably quickly. It's an unspoken thing between us. Texting is upbeat and chatty BUT calls mean business!! I wouldn't have a landline if it wasn't for my technophobe of a husband!

I too hate phone calls,especially phoning people I dont know well. I always hope my husband will answer when it rings and that its not for me. The worst thing os when Ive been out and he says so and so phoned and I said you'd ring back!

I prefer e-mails to either texting or phoning, but do text quite a lot as it is cheaper than speaking on the phone. Our provider does not do unlimited phone calls.

When I send a text I feel I am not interrupting and the person I want to get in touch with can phone or text back asking me to phone.

Greyduster, I used to hate talking on the phone too. I’d completely forgotten about this until I came across some very old letters I’d sent to DH, where I mentioned it. Email and texts would have been such a boon to me back then.

I'm another fan of WhatsApp and love that my whole family can share communications. At the moment we're enjoying the sights of Singapore where one of my daughters is at a conference; watching video clips of my 8 year old grandson at his school sport's day; one of my sons is currently arranging a family BBQ and the other is planning his fortnightly visit to bring our grandson to stay.

I love texting. I’m a curmudgeonly old girl, and I can’t be doing with long conversations unless they’re face-to face with a cake and a nice cuppa!
Text are wonderful for imparting small but necessary bites of info, and save huge amounts of telephone time which can then be used for pleasurable meetings.

Yes I would say something I had a friend that wanted to text entire conversations! OMG I hated it and then I just told her to call or don't bother.

I do however send quick messages via the message facility on iPad.I send photos that way too.

I hope it won’t replace phone calls, far nicer to hear a voice and have a chat, even a quick chat.In any case I don’t send or receive texts.

Oh I would far rather people text me, since I don't have to wipe my hands or whatever to answer in realtime, I can reply when I finish my current job. I don't experience it as a manners thing at all, just taking advantage of the wonderful technology we have now!

I hate phone calls - have to steel myself to make them and try and make every excuse not to answer them!! Stella my SiL is exactly like that, too! I had to call my friend last night, as I knew that, though she has a mobile, if I texted her she was unlikely to answer because she doesn’t like using it! My grandson, eleven, WhatsApp’s me every day. He is a man of few words. He just says ‘Hi’ and sends me a beating heart! (I must find out how to do that!).