I read an amusing article by a woman who had been very resistant to getting a mobile phone. Finally, over a decade after most people had one, she relented. She consoled herself that she would only use it for phone calls.
No one was more surprised than her that, within a few months, she was addicted to the phone. She loved it, but had begun feeling very annoyed by the rude presumption of anyone who dared to actually ring her on it. Like, how dare they! She now thought no one should have the audacity to ring her on her mobile phone, except her mother, and she probably should text first.
I just spent 2 hours in a text conversation that could have been solved with a 10 minute phone call. The other party and I are both older GenX, so a call is culturally ok but they work with kids, so have been compromised and are not to be trusted with anything that cannot have an emoji attached.
I was thinking that the other day, while trying to troubleshoot phone/internet problems for ms insomniac in fucking Los Angeles. It's a computer that fits in your pocket that you can use to make calls, so just turn it off and on again. Worked of course.
My phone falls silent overnight so I don't get pinged all the time, but certain peeps can get through if necessary, so same same but different. That means I still get the random calls. I'll answer most calls originating from mobiles, but anything starting 02 8 or 02 7, you can just fuck off.
To be fair, android does a pretty good job of filtering out the spam callers. I don't even get notifications for the spam texts any more.
It's funny the things you get used to though. I use a phone every day for work, calling dozens of clients and staff to fix their shit. I answer calls all day long and think nothing of it, but if my mobile rings, I still get that spike of adrenaline. Anxiety is shit.
I prefer to text mostly because I don't want to make demands of people's time then and there. I'd rather someone reply at their convenience, when they have time, than feel pressured because I have anxiety up the wazoo.
My BFF and I communicate in two ways - via text, or in person. Very very occasionally we need to call each other, and when the other person picks up the first thing we say is "It's ok, it's not an emergency!" to forestall the DEFCON 1 levels of ready to leap to assistance that a phone call triggers in each of us. Unless of course it IS an emergency, and then it's all hands on deck.
Her teen daughter was explaining the concept of voice memos that has emerged amongst the yoof, where they will record little audio messages to send to each other. Me, as a late Gen X/Xennial-too-feral-to-be-a-millenial stared at her incredulously and said "so you guys have invented voicemail."
The teen was DEEPLY offended at this insinuation that they're recycling something my generation had already invented and discarded, but was unable to explain how it was different. Kids these days.
I have ignored phone calls from my mother when I've not been in the mood for a chat.
I have texted back numbers demanding to know who they are and why they are attempting to call me during business hours (and outside of business hours, too).
I now have my phone on silent so it makes it even easier to ignore people.
Occasionally I'll look over at it, delete the spam texts I get from all those places that I bought a pair of shoes off that one time, or a pillow, or an inflatable goat.
My mother has perfected the art of calling me in the middle of the day when I'm in meetings and cannot answer her, because as a retired person she's forgotten what it means to have to work during the day. I swear she calls to talk to my voicemail and not me 🙄
i have fully embraced the text answering service. If its not important enough to leave a message then see ya later. My kids drive me nuts though, we were brought up on finishing school level phone etiquette back in the day but the kids wont even say anything even if they do deign to pick up. Like, complete silence . . . . "hello anyone there?" You saw it was me trying to ring, its not some bot trying to clone your voice or anything.
I've spent 15 years in maintenance so you tend to get phone calls at odd hours, but scammers are just fun, let them give you the script and reply with i'm sorry i dont understand over and over... for context im 36 and i find it hilarious
I read an amusing article by a woman who had been very resistant to getting a mobile phone. Finally, over a decade after most people had one, she relented. She consoled herself that she would only use it for phone calls.
No one was more surprised than her that, within a few months, she was addicted to the phone. She loved it, but had begun feeling very annoyed by the rude presumption of anyone who dared to actually ring her on it. Like, how dare they! She now thought no one should have the audacity to ring her on her mobile phone, except her mother, and she probably should text first.
It's me, I am this person.
I just spent 2 hours in a text conversation that could have been solved with a 10 minute phone call. The other party and I are both older GenX, so a call is culturally ok but they work with kids, so have been compromised and are not to be trusted with anything that cannot have an emoji attached.
I was thinking that the other day, while trying to troubleshoot phone/internet problems for ms insomniac in fucking Los Angeles. It's a computer that fits in your pocket that you can use to make calls, so just turn it off and on again. Worked of course.
My phone falls silent overnight so I don't get pinged all the time, but certain peeps can get through if necessary, so same same but different. That means I still get the random calls. I'll answer most calls originating from mobiles, but anything starting 02 8 or 02 7, you can just fuck off.
To be fair, android does a pretty good job of filtering out the spam callers. I don't even get notifications for the spam texts any more.
It's funny the things you get used to though. I use a phone every day for work, calling dozens of clients and staff to fix their shit. I answer calls all day long and think nothing of it, but if my mobile rings, I still get that spike of adrenaline. Anxiety is shit.
I prefer to text mostly because I don't want to make demands of people's time then and there. I'd rather someone reply at their convenience, when they have time, than feel pressured because I have anxiety up the wazoo.
My BFF and I communicate in two ways - via text, or in person. Very very occasionally we need to call each other, and when the other person picks up the first thing we say is "It's ok, it's not an emergency!" to forestall the DEFCON 1 levels of ready to leap to assistance that a phone call triggers in each of us. Unless of course it IS an emergency, and then it's all hands on deck.
Her teen daughter was explaining the concept of voice memos that has emerged amongst the yoof, where they will record little audio messages to send to each other. Me, as a late Gen X/Xennial-too-feral-to-be-a-millenial stared at her incredulously and said "so you guys have invented voicemail."
The teen was DEEPLY offended at this insinuation that they're recycling something my generation had already invented and discarded, but was unable to explain how it was different. Kids these days.
I have ignored phone calls from my mother when I've not been in the mood for a chat.
I have texted back numbers demanding to know who they are and why they are attempting to call me during business hours (and outside of business hours, too).
I now have my phone on silent so it makes it even easier to ignore people.
Occasionally I'll look over at it, delete the spam texts I get from all those places that I bought a pair of shoes off that one time, or a pillow, or an inflatable goat.
'Tis a simple life I lead...
This is the way.
My mother has perfected the art of calling me in the middle of the day when I'm in meetings and cannot answer her, because as a retired person she's forgotten what it means to have to work during the day. I swear she calls to talk to my voicemail and not me 🙄
I forgot voicemail was still a thing; disabled that years ago.
i have fully embraced the text answering service. If its not important enough to leave a message then see ya later. My kids drive me nuts though, we were brought up on finishing school level phone etiquette back in the day but the kids wont even say anything even if they do deign to pick up. Like, complete silence . . . . "hello anyone there?" You saw it was me trying to ring, its not some bot trying to clone your voice or anything.
Oh I answer mine, it's great fun...
I've spent 15 years in maintenance so you tend to get phone calls at odd hours, but scammers are just fun, let them give you the script and reply with i'm sorry i dont understand over and over... for context im 36 and i find it hilarious