S/O - do your kids use their phones different than you?

[wgeo]

My kids don't actually use their phones to talk, they don't even have their voicemail set up. They will text, snap, facetime or use apps - but not phone.

When they text they use 2 fingers and make fun of me for using only one finger.

They use their phone as their alarm. My daughter uses it to watch tv shows, even though she has an actual tv in her room.

I'm sure there are lots of other things we do differently. Is this a generational thing or just my kids?

 

[ImDMous]

I don't talk on my phone either, unless absolutely forced.
I text all the time, take pictures, play games, Twitter, deposit to my bank, pay my bills, watch YouTube, listen to music, set my alarm, keep track of my calendar, shop, etc.
If my phone died, I would be useless.
Very far from a kid though, I'm 47.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

My kids use it for teen social media and to stream everything they watch. We have cable in their bedrooms and they never turn their TV's on - ever. They don't talk on the phone, they use facetime and DM

I use my phone for everything under the sun. It's pretty much replaced every electronic out there - phone, TV, Kindle, Ipod, and practically my laptop, which I only use now for work or when I want to look at something that needs a bigger picture or when it would be easier to use the two-screen monitor system I have set up in my office.

I'm 42 and they are 18, 14, and 13

 

[CarolAnn856]

My kids don't actually use their phones to talk, they don't even have their voicemail set up. They will text, snap, facetime or use apps - but not phone.

When they text they use 2 fingers and make fun of me for using only one finger.

They use their phone as their alarm. My daughter uses it to watch tv shows, even though she has an actual tv in her room.

I'm sure there are lots of other things we do differently. Is this a generational thing or just my kids?

I do most of those things, and I've got one kid in high school and one in college. I do have voicemail set up, and there are a few peoole I actually talk to, but mostly I text or message. I use my thumbs to type, use it as my alarm, and will often watch shows or rrad books on it. I mostly browse and shop online with it, and in fact I'm typing this response on my phone.

There are some differences between how age groups use tech, but I think it's more of a difference in mentality and comfort that drive most of the tech use differences between people.

 

[wenrob]

I try not to use the phone part of the phone all that much. I much prefer texting. My oldest calls me almost everyday on her break though. She’s 22.

I would say the biggest difference between myself and the two younger ones (13) is that I store my music collection (and actually have a music collection) on my phone while they stream. I don’t have or play games on my phone. They don’t use Maps. I’ve only ever used FaceTime when I was out of town and missing them. DD uses it with her friends, DS does not. Neither has a use for grocery lists, recipes, banking or bill paying. Oh, they will read or listen to audio books on theirs. I don’t like audio books and I prefer my Kindle for books but will use my phone for them in a pinch. I keep mine fully charged, them not so much.

 

[Floridaman999]

I set up voicemail just because I don't want to talk. That's about the only difference I think.

 

[shoney]

We all text with 2 fingers, text each other, and only call someone if we really have to.

My teenage son uses his for all his movie, tv and sports watching. My dh and I do not. We still use that big screen in the living room or bedroom. Lol

 

[Southernmiss]

Same as all the others. Our phones are used for much more than talking. We would be lost without them. In fact, talking is the least used feature of the phone. Communication has and is evolving fast.

As a Church secretary, I have a feature where I can text people. I do that much more than make phone calls anymore. And my response for texting is immediate. I also send a lot of emails but the response for that is not as good as the response for the text. Only the very older folks get phone calls from me. Even those in their 60s and 70s prefer a text.

If it wasn't for my husband I don't know that I would maintain cable for the television.

My kids don't ever see themselves needing to own a TV for anything other than gaming.

 

[Wendy31]

I agree... I'd be LOST without my phone!

I text MUCH MORE than I talk (I hate talking on the phone!), although I do have my voice mail set up.

My phone is my camera & my alarm. I have a 2-3 games I play on my phone, & all my downloaded music is on my phone. I Facebook & Instagram on my phone & will watch videos on my phone. However, I prefer to watch videos & Facebook on my laptop, & I type much faster on my laptop than I do my phone.

However, if I'm away from my laptop, I will use my phone just like I use my laptop for everything - Googling, Facebook, Instagram, Maps, Weather, etc. I do prefer reading on my Kindle.

I've only ever used Facetime w/ DH & my kids.

My kids do make fun of how I text. I use the one finger method while they use 2 fingers.

 

[Micca]

My DDs are adults and the mystery to me is why one DD who is constantly engaged with her phone but will take hours to respond to a text from me Also I think most people have stopped leaving voicemail unless it's business.

As for talking on the phone, most of my conversations are very brief except for one friend that i talk to once a week.

 

[ronandannette]

I use my phone for calls, texts and checking my work e-mail and taking the very occasional picture - period. I don't go on-line on it, read, watch videos, play games, listen to music or anything else. I have only ever used it as an alarm very infrequently when I've got no choice.

Both my DH and DS do use it for all the things I don't, plus much, much more. The one thing DS doesn't do is talk on his - do any young people actually make phone calls anymore?

 

[ashley0139]

I can't imagine texting with only one finger. Which finger do you use? Why wouldn't you use your two thumbs? That has to be so much slower.

 

[disneychrista]

My kids seems to use their phones in place of their laptops for internet. I'm old, I can't do that. The screen is way to small and there are things you just can't do on your phone.

I text more than I talk. I rarely call anyone and really one my "friend" calls me, usually while he is driving to/from somewhere. I use my phone to check the weather and while I am out to look up something. But I would much rather have my 17inch screen of my laptap.

 

[Hikergirl]

I can't imagine texting with only one finger. Which finger do you use? Why wouldn't you use your two thumbs? That has to be so much slower.

I use my index finger, I've been doing it forever so I'm pretty fast.
I try to use my thumbs but it's just awkward and I'm too slow.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

My stepkids watch tv shows, use snapchat extensively, and play games. I do not do those things on mine.

I pretty much just use things like texting, looking up stuff, shopping, reading webpages for entertainment, and checking email. I seem keep talking to a minimum lol

 

[Colleen27]

We use different social media - we're all on FB, Instagram and Line, but the only time I Snapchat is with the kids and none of them use Twitter, which I use often. And my 10yo plays a lot more games than I do, but I chalk that up to the difference between kid and adult.

The biggest difference is that the older two hardly ever use their phones to make calls, which I find a bit odd. My middle child, I kind of get it - she a super-involved senior, as are most of her friends, so asynchronous communication is preferable over trying to line up random moments of availability with friends, and she does make calls when the situation demands it (like talking to her grandparents or ordering Chinese food). But my oldest? It is almost like he's phobic about it. He won't order pizza from the one place in town that doesn't have online ordering, even though their food is better, and if he wants Chinese food he'll go and order in person. But most perplexing to me is that he'll type novels into Messenger or texts before he'll just decide that calling is faster.

 

[cabanafrau]

I can't imagine texting with only one finger. Which finger do you use? Why wouldn't you use your two thumbs? That has to be so much slower.

I tore a ligament on a thumb several years back and had to have surgery. That thumb doesn't have the dexterity to type on a phone keyboard, so I type with one index finger instead of one thumb. Luckily my thumb does still have the dexterity for typing on a computer keyboard.

None of us use our phones much for talking, although even our daughters do occasionally, generally if they get a call from work. Mainly I text and listen to music on my phone. My husband and daughters are power users of their phones, apps, streaming, etc. They've all had to use their phones in college classes as well.

 

[tvguy]

Yup.
I make calls on mine.

My kids:
Surf the web
Ignore incoming calls
Never reply to texts.

 

[cabanafrau]

Yup.
I make calls on mine.

My kids:
Surf the web
Ignore incoming calls
Never reply to texts.

The CEO of AT&T proved the wisdom in ignoring incoming phone calls live on stage this week. Most of the calls these days are robocalls, as was the one he got onstage.

 

[tvguy]

The CEO of AT&T proved the wisdom in ignoring incoming phone calls live on stage this week. Most of the calls these days are robocalls, as was the one he got onstage.

I've had that issue with my landline, fortunately not with my cell phone. But nobody by my wife, 2 children and MIL has my cell phone number, which is why I keep the landline.