Have people's phone conversations changed differently today than in the past?

[DVCjj]

We just got rid of our landline and I had great trepidation. One week later, didn't miss it a second.

I now don't even like talking on my cell and wish everyone text instead. Still have several people who want calls but I now don't like talking on a phone as it seems a waste of time and hurts my arm/neck unless on speaker, which isn't always appropriate.

 

[tvguy]

We just got rid of our landline and I had great trepidation. One week later, didn't miss it a second.

I now don't even like talking on my cell and wish everyone text instead. Still have several people who want calls but I now don't like talking on a phone as it seems a waste of time and hurts my arm/neck unless on speaker, which isn't always appropriate.

I can't ever envision getting rid of my landline. It gives me a number to give out, while keeping my cell phone number confidential. And I have phones in 4 rooms in my house, where my cell phone might be out of ear range in another room.
On National Night Out the Fire Department person at our meeting made the point that people with young children, or senior residents might want to consider keeping a landline for safety reasons. A 9-1-1- call from a landline gives emergency responders your exact address, where a cell phone only gives a proximity. He says it can be a challenge finding a caller who can't say where they are with a cell phone 9-1-1 call in an apartment complex for example. They know the phone is with in 100 yards, but there may be 50 apartments in that vicinity.

 

[DVCjj]

I can't ever envision getting rid of my landline. It gives me a number to give out, while keeping my cell phone number confidential. And I have phones in 4 rooms in my house, where my cell phone might be out of ear range in another room.
On National Night Out the Fire Department person at our meeting made the point that people with young children, or senior residents might want to consider keeping a landline for safety reasons. A 9-1-1- call from a landline gives emergency responders your exact address, where a cell phone only gives a proximity. He says it can be a challenge finding a caller who can't say where they are with a cell phone 9-1-1 call in an apartment complex for example. They know the phone is with in 100 yards, but there may be 50 apartments in that vicinity.

My landline got more Scam calls than real calls. I can very easily block scam on cell....even easier than landline (which I did block about 5 times a day). I always have a cell and iWatch on me and connect very easily to emergency contacts who know address. Never lived in an apartment and most likely won't so I think we are fine without a landline. It was a total waste of $ (for us). I do understand your concern though.

 

[tvguy]

My landline got more Scam calls than real calls. I can very easily block scam on cell....even easier than landline (which I did block about 5 times a day). I always have a cell and iWatch on me and connect very easily to emergency contacts who know address. Never lived in an apartment and most likely won't so I think we are fine without a landline. It was a total waste of $ (for us). I do understand your concern though.

Just very handy to have a public phone number and a private one.

 

[nancipants]

People still talk on the phone?

 

[sam_gordon]

People still talk on the phone?

I talk to my mom every week.

 

[goofyernmost]

I have noticed when people call anyone on the phone no matter if it's a relative or a best friend that phone conversations have become different today than they used to be in the past and I would like to know if anybody has noticed this today? It used to be that phone conversations were simple and you would say a simple "Hi How Are You Doing Today" and then your friends or relatives would talk about the latest stuff they did during the week. But now if you look at phone conversations today they are not what they used to be and I can't figure that out? Like if you talk to anyone on the phone it seems the number one topic that they are obsessed is health and it seems that when you talk to anyone they talk about illnesses and to me if you talk to someone on the telephone all they talk about is their illnesses and if I had a telephone and I called my friends if I had an illness I would simply change the subject because it is not good manners to discuss sicknesses and ill relatives. Another thing that friends and relatives always use as conversation starters when you call them on the phone is if you have a crush and I cannot see when asking about your crushes became a hot topic. I would say if I had a crush I would just tell my relatives that he was a friend of mine but it is very impolite to ask about crushes in my opinion. I wish the days of good phone conversations would return today because it was always wonderful to have a wonderful conversation about wonderful and exciting things with friends and relatives

Just asking, but if you, in the past, started a conversation with "Hi, how are you doing today?" Isn't that asking about health or happiness? Was it required to say "Oh, I'm just peachy" even if they were bleeding from the ears? Conversations haven't changed just the degree of detail is expanded. What was the response to that supposed to be? If a person were to ask that question it seems like one should expect some sort of report if things aren't normal.

 

[nancipants]

I talk to my mom every week.

I think the only person I call regularly IS my mom. Although she’s finally started texting me short questions instead of texting “call me” which never fails to send me into a panic.

 

[tvguy]

People still talk on the phone?

A lot less now that I am retired. But at work my day started with calling 30 police and fire departments to check on if anything happened over night.
You haven't lived until you work at a TV station that runs Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and you preempt them one night. Non stop calls.

 

[CdnCarrie]

The only personal call I ever make is to my Mom. Husband talks to his mom.

 

[fla4fun]

We just got rid of our landline and I had great trepidation. One week later, didn't miss it a second.

I now don't even like talking on my cell and wish everyone text instead. Still have several people who want calls but I now don't like talking on a phone as it seems a waste of time and hurts my arm/neck unless on speaker, which isn't always appropriate.

I got rid of my landline when I lost my job during the pandemic. I hate talking on the phone, and to be honest, I forget to turn it on most days. I can text with family and friends through my iPad, and the job search services I use have their own message services. The only time I turn it on and leave it on is when I have applied to a job directly instead of through a service, which doesn’t happen very often.