Yes I said call me… as opposed to text me. Because if you really want to find out what is going on in my life, don’t rely on my dyslexic thumbs to provide you with that info. It will not happen.
I am a QWERTY person. I love a real standard keyboard. One where I can position my fingers on the home keys and communicate with efficiency and a reasonable amount of speed. What I am not is an App-keyboard person. An App that expects me to tap out a message with thumbs or finger tips that are three times the size of the miniature pretend key on my cell phone screen while the dancing dots impatiently remind me that someone is waiting for me. Oh the pressure. Oh the pain (in the ass that is).
This is what happens when I have a texting conversation:
Incoming message: How are you?
What I want to say is: I am absolutely kick-ass great because it is a beautiful day and the sun is bright and cheery so I am planning to go out in the garden. Plus there is a full bottle of wine on the kitchen counter. What more could a person ask for.
What I end up saying is: Pretty good.
Incoming message: So what have you been up to?
What I want to say is: Hiked the Atlantic View Trail, kayaked the lake, moved some plants, widened the hedge area, wrote a few blogs, dallied over a puzzle, practiced piano, did my morning yoga and watched several Blue Jays games.
What I end up saying is: Oh keeping busy.
You get the picture. This is not a conversation. This is torture. And it lasts for less than two minutes.
Last week a good friend of mine called and we spent over two hours chatting and catching up. It was a wonderful two way conversation. We laughed together. How do you laugh together when you are texting? And don’t say LOL. That is not laughing together. That is thinking you’re being funny. And often you are wrong. My friend and I updated each other on our kids, our parents, our present status and future plans. We covered opinions on current affairs and Covid protocol. We talked a lot. There are so many benefits to an actual conversation. The endorphins alone lasted at least three days–no wine required. Chatting is a such great way to boost one’s mental health.
And since I happened to toss in an acronym in my previous paragraph, I have to say that I detest them. It is like people are making them up as they go so they don’t have to write a sentence. How to hell am I supposed to know what you are talking about when your message is full of acronyms? I can’t remember how to spell normal English words. How do you expect me to decipher your code and then remember it in the future? Here’s one for you: WAFS. Take a stab. I promise to tell you if you are correct.
Texting is a younger person’s game. My fingers and thumbs are not made for this activity. When I watch JT text, with what appears to be the fastest thumb in the east, it makes me feel a little past my prime. I do not enjoy that feeling, nor do I enjoy someone trying to communicate with me while making me feel obsolete at the same time. That makes me bitchier. Ask me how many texting conversations ended because I couldn’t respond fast enough. Either I give up, or by the time I finally get my response sent, the other person has moved on to something or someone else.
What I want to know is who exactly decided that texting should replace an actual verbal conversation as the standard form of communication? And why did everyone jump on that bandwagon? I’m not saying that I don’t text. Texting can be very efficient to confirm dates and appointments. To say, “I’m on my way,” when someone is expecting you. To do a quick check in. But it is not, in any way shape or form, something I would call a pleasant way of communicating. It is a lazy way of communicating. One that allows people to tick a box and to say they touched base. But one that also allows someone to not get personally invested or to chose to ignore another’s words. Texting is just words, words without emotion. Emojis are not real emotions, they are cartoons. And just because you add an emoji, doesn’t mean you’re sincere. Sincerity is something you hear in another’s voice or see as an expression on their face. Sincerity is what I want in my conversations, which is why I prefer talking as opposed to texting. So, if you have my number, don’t be afraid to just call me. I promise, I won’t bite.
Thanks you for reading.
Photos: Mike Meyers, Unsplash
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I hardly use the phone anymore and rely on emails and texting for most of my communication with the world outside my house. I noticed that lately I get annoyed if someone actually calls me, but you got me thinking…is it laziness? Thinking that I’m staying in touch, while doing the absolute minimum? Lip service to social life?
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Lots of people get annoyed when people call. Personally I don’t understand it but that maybe because I love phone calls. And I do feel that texting is kind of lazy. Could be just me. I like that phrase, “lip service to social life.”
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I think it started as a quick way to keep in touch while you are busy with other things, but slowly replaced it since we are always busy…
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Awesome Jennifer, I feel the same way. I have recently told a few of my friends that I much rather have a call and catch up then text message. They are okay for a quick hello, thinking of you, but for that personal human connection there is nothing like a phone call. After all you get to laugh, catch up on what’s new and most importantly solve the worlds problem.
Love your blogs and I often pass them on to others. I hope you don’t mind.
Take Care, June
Sent from my iPad
>
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So nice to hear from you. Thanks so much for your comment. Yes those solve- the-world-problems phone calls are wonderful. Glad we are on the same page with that. Please share my blogs with anyone you want. If they enjoy them, let them know how easy it is to follow.
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Texting can be a bit boring..I prefer to have a chat. Usually I always get a text from our son who lives in Calgary. I would prefer to hear his voice.
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When he was in Ontario, my son called while driving home in the evening. I would hear his voice almost every day. There is no replacement for that.
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So happy he always had a chat with you.
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There are situations, especially when I only want to send one quick piece of info to a friend, where texting is a good option, but I would much rather talk to someone on the phone. I do admit I like the freedom of responding to a text whenever I have the time.
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I agree. Sometimes texting is a good option. Especially for a quick interchange.
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I agree that sometimes texting has its place, but a phone call or video chat is usually so much better. And I’m impressed that you text with two thumbs; I just use my one pointer finger… 🙂
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Sorry to mislead, I don’t text with two thumbs. It is usually my index finger and occasionally a thumb. Never two of anything at a time. That would require too much coordination. Either way it is not enjoyable.
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I’m jealous of people who can text with two thumbs. It’s a skill that seems to have bypassed people of my age…
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Great post! I much prefer a conversation, and used to resist texting until I had no choice. But it is so annoying and takes multiple attempts to hit the right fucking letter. I tried dictating instead of typing, and that was a disaster. Lots of careful proofreading needed before sending.
I’ve had to Google acronyms, and emojis.
I will admit, however, that I appreciate texting when I can use it to avoid having a conversation. Rude, I know…
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Thanks. It can be a frustrating and challenging but also convenient way to communicate. I think loads of people probably use it to avoid every once in a while. Or in my case I just don’t bother communicating at all if I want to avoid, which is also rude. So we are human not perfect.
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I’m exactly the same about texting – I can’t be bothered to try to type with a thumb or whatever either (and I don’t have a keyboard on my phone – mine is still where you press a number key so many times for a letter) – it’s just cumbersome, awkward and annoying. So I just put short, uninformative replies too. I’m also a touch typist – I love touch typing on a proper keyboard as I can just think what I want to say and it comes out of my fingers.
I have to say I’m a hater of phone calls though and prefer e-mails. It’s just that a phone is an immediate ‘drop everything you’re doing’ thing whereas an e-mail can be picked up and replied to when it’s convenient. Having said that, I phone my best friend every day and am always pleased when my other best friend rings for a chat – but then they know my times and don’t generally ring when it’s inconvenient. I have to admit to ignoring the phone if it rings and I’m doing something more interesting like eating – I have an ansafone anyway so I can get back to them later!
I used to love instant messaging at work – I used to have around 10 conversations going at any time – 5 or so would be work-related and the others just chat. Apart from at work though, instant messaging seems to have gone nowadays…
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I will admit to not answering some phone calls. There are people I don’t always want to talk to. Certain relatives. But this bitch really doesn’t get a lot of calls to begin with so I enjoy most of them.
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I don’t get many personal calls but, now I’m responsible for my ageing mother’s affairs (she’s 93), I’m getting a lot of other calls and they get annoying when you’re tired after work and come back to a load of them!
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