Text me, don’t call.

These days, I feel like texting is way more common than calling, especially for people my age. Personally, I text way more than I call, mostly because it’s fast, easy, and I can do it anytime even if I’m in a noisy place or not in the mood to talk out loud. One of the best things about texting is that I can think before I respond. If someone texts me something serious or confusing, I have time to process it and decide what I want to say. Plus, I can multitask while texting, like if I’m doing homework or watching a show.

On the other hand, phone calls can be really helpful when you need to have an actual conversation or clear something up quickly. When there’s too much to explain over text, or if I’m trying to solve a problem with someone, calling just works better. You can hear the person’s tone and emotions, which helps avoid misunderstandings. I think calling feels more personal too, like if I want to talk to my best friend about something emotional, I’d rather call her than text.

In my personal life, I usually text friends and family unless something important comes up. But I’ve noticed that in professional situations like when I applied for my first part-time job I had to make calls or answer them. At first, it was kind of nerve-wracking, but I realized that calling seems more mature and professional. I think as I get older and start working more, I’ll probably have to talk on the phone more often. I also think that expectations around texting vs. calling might change as I get deeper into adult life. Like, using texting apps to keep in touch is super normal now, but I know in some jobs, calling or even video calls are expected. I don’t think texting will ever go away for casual stuff, but I believe I’ll need to get more comfortable with phone calls for work, interviews, and even things like making appointments. So overall, I think both texting and calling have their place. It just depends on what the situation is and who you’re talking to.

“Texting Congress 1” by afagen is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.