The way we connect with loved ones has undergone a dramatic transformation. Do you remember handwritten letters? Today’s young adults (aged 18-34) seem to be bypassing phone calls altogether, with a quarter admitting they’ve never even answered one, according to The Metro.
A recent survey reveals a clear shift in communication preferences. Texting reigns supreme, with over 70% of young adults favouring it. Voice notes are also gaining traction, being preferred by nearly 40%. This trend seems linked to a general dislike of unexpected calls; more than half associate them with bad news.
Interestingly, this aversion to phone calls isn’t shared by older demographics. Only 1% of those aged 35-54 prioritise texts over calls.
The survey suggests a generational shift in communication styles. Phone calls, once a revolutionary tool for connection, are seemingly declining in favour of asynchronous methods like texting and voice notes.
As reported by The Metro, the younger demographic has played a notable role in the accumulation of 1.3 trillion online messages and 36 billion text messages exchanged in the UK from 2012 to 2022.
A prevalent explanation for their reluctance to answer phone calls is the perceived pressure associated with them. More than half of them anticipate negative news when receiving unexpected calls.
Younger individuals generally prefer scheduled phone conversations as the primary means of communication.
Professor Cary Cooper, an organisational psychologist, affirmed to iNews UK that the decline in phone calls is indeed occurring. However, he suggests it presents a double-edged sword for our mental wellness.
“What is ideal in working relationships is face-to-face, but we’re spread out, we’re working hybridly, and we’re not in the office as much as we were pre-pandemic,” he explains on a spontaneous phone call. Cooper adds that where face-to-face isn’t possible, the nearest you can get to it is better: video is better than audio, and audio is better than text. The worst of all worlds, though, is email.
