Do you answer your phone?

[Andrew NDB]

When someone calls you on your cell phone, do you generally answer or do you let it go to voicemail? Do you mentally do the "if it was important, they would send a text" math?

I guess I'm that way. At least, now I am. I'll generally let the voicemail be my "call screener."

The cause is, as the years have passed I've found that my friends are like me in that they prefer to text... unless they need something or want me to do something I don't want to do (i.e., give them a ride somewhere, loan money, do some house project, etc., you name it)... THEN they will call me. So I kind of just stopped taking calls.

Secondly, do you like talking on the phone anymore?

[Musashi]

I hate talking on the phone. All other "to do" tasks get done as displacement activity to avoid making a phone call.

[newfan]

Most of the time I'll look and see who's calling, if it's an 0800 number I ignore it, if it's someone I want to talk to or I think it might be the children's school then I'll answer it. I don't really get that many calls though so it's not really an issue. Also depends if I am in the middle of something or not.

So far as making calls, if it's going to be something longer than I want to spend forever texting about then I'd rather just call up and talk.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Working in a corporate environment ruined me for answering the phone. Too many phonecalls that could have been quick emails or IMs.

Hard no. I only talk to the wife on the phone, that's it. Anyone else, you know to text me or it's business related and I initiated the phonecall (or am expecting the returned call).

[Wesley]

No, I usually have it switched off.

I still talk on the phone for important stuff. Otherwise, I just send a text message.

[Prowler]

Of course if I do. If it's a relative or a close friend, that is. But I rarely get calls anyway. They usually contact me by either e-mail or by text message. It's never really too urgent for them to need to call me. And that's a good thing, because I HATE talking on the phone, especially if I need to call, let's say, the gas or electricity company to tell them about some problem or ask them about my bill in case I think it's overpriced. I HATE having to go through all of that, plus being put on hold with music and having to explain them what's wrong. I just suck at talking on the phone, I guess.

Now if it's an anonymous caller or a number I don't recognise calling me I won't bother answering the phone unless I'm expecting a call from somewhere else at the time. But on a daily basis I'm not. And the rare times I open up an exception and pick up a call of a number that calls me often on the same week... it turns out to be either telemarketing, some company doing a marketing test or a call where you hear a recorded song play for like 5 seconds that then automatically hangs up. So yeah.

Btw, years ago I used to get calls often form this marketing company. One day they told me I could simply give them my e-mail and they'd start e-mailing me to answer their surveys instead of needing to pick up the phone. So what I did was giving them a throwaway e-mail of mine and for years they've been sending me e-mails to there and I don't answer them. Meanwhile, I haven't had a single call from them in nearly a decade. SUCCESS

EDIT: Who even uses voicemail anymore?! People usually send an e-mail or a text message or a message on whatsapp or something like that these days if the other person doesn't answer their call. I've always hated voicemail, personally.

Also, the worst thing about mobile phones is getting calls in public places or outside. Especially if it's an important call. I can't talk in the middle of the street during rush hour with all the noise in the city. I can't .

[Andrew NDB]

In a way, if I'm talking on the phone with somebody I'm mentally going, "They're so selfish for calling me. Why couldn't they just text this?" Because when someone calls you (unless they're on the speakerphone or something, which is awkward) you're basically being asked to stop what you're doing and pay 100% attention to them. Texting or FB Messenger or whatnot, you can go about your business, responding when you can or are able to.

Right?

EDIT: Who even uses voicemail anymore?! People usually send an e-mail or a text message or a message on whatsapp or something like that these days if the other person doesn't answer their call. I've always hated voicemail, personally.

I get a few. I go through like once a month and listen to them.

[CyberCubed]

I don't think I've ever picked up a phone in my entire life.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I don't think I've ever picked up a phone in my entire life.

Like, even picked one up? Like, you don't even own a cell phone?

[CyberCubed]

I own a cell phone but I've only used it for job interviews/calls.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I don't think I've ever picked up a phone in my entire life.

Yeah right. You were born in 1985, not in 2002. You must certainly have picked up your house's phone when you were a kid and still living with your family.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Yeah right. You were born in 1985, not in 2002. You must certainly have picked up your house's phone when you were a kid and still living with your family.

I never picked up the house phone as a kid/teen. My parents always did or they just let it ring until the answering machine.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

In a way, if I'm talking on the phone with somebody I'm mentally going, "They're so selfish for calling me. Why couldn't they just text this?" Because when someone calls you (unless they're on the speakerphone or something, which is awkward) you're basically being asked to stop what you're doing and pay 100% attention to them. Texting or FB Messenger or whatnot, you can go about your business, responding when you can or are able to.

Right?



I get a few. I go through like once a month and listen to them.

I don't even remember the last time I got a voice mail message. Whenever I don't pick up a call from someone who really wants to talk to me, they just send me a text message and/or an e-mail instead.

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I never picked up the house phone as a kid/teen. My parents always did or they just let it ring until the answering machine.

So, you never exchanged phone numbers with a classmate or friend back then or called them or vice-versa to chat or to talk about some school group project you had to do on Easter break or something?

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Prowler

So, you never exchanged phone numbers with a classmate or friend back then or called them or vice-versa to chat or to talk about some school group project you had to do on Easter break or something?

People do that?

[IMJ]

If I don't know the number, it goes to voicemail. And most of the time - like probably 99% of the time I text.

[Sage Ninja]

I have always hated talking on the phone with the exception of a few cases. It takes up so much time that I could be doing something else. I am slightly more open to talk on the phone in the evening when I'm home and have eaten and have had time to unwind. I especially feel resentful if I get a phone call and I am about to eat, I hate eating with a phone cradled against my shoulder. I especially hate when someone keeps spam calling me until I pick up and it's not (f)ucking important! Like they are just bored.

I hate empty space. If you are not calling for a reason (calling to catch up is a legitimate reason, no harm there) but you're just bored and are waiting for me to fill the space, get off the phone and do something. You don't call someone to disturb them when you have nothing to say and are just bored and expect the person you called to fill in empty space.

I also have a hard time hearing people when they are on their cell phone as well. I have better time hearing people when they use their landline, but no one really does that anymore.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

People do that?

In 2019? Probably not. But I'm surprised you didn't do that in the late 90s when you were a kid/teenager.

Originally Posted by Sage Ninja

I have always hated talking on the phone with the exception of a few cases. It takes up so much time that I could be doing something else. I am slightly more open to talk on the phone in the evening when I'm home and have eaten and have had time to unwind. I especially feel resentful if I get a phone call and I am about to eat, I hate eating with a phone cradled against my shoulder. I especially hate when someone keeps spam calling me until I pick up and it's not (f)ucking important! Like they are just bored.

I hate empty space. If you are not calling for a reason (calling to catch up is a legitimate reason, no harm there) but you're just bored and are waiting for me to fill the space, get off the phone and do something. You don't call someone to disturb them when you have nothing to say and are just bored and expect the person you called to fill in empty space.

I also have a hard time hearing people when they are on their cell phone as well. I have better time hearing people when they use their landline, but no one really does that anymore.

I personally never call someone for no reason whatsoever. What a waste of time and money

[DarkFell]

For robocalls, I hang up, or make the machine hang up. *Hit Talk, but don't talk / make noise.*

For Fam & Friends, it depends if I have the phone nearby. Otherwise, they get my voicemail and I get back to them.

[Andrew NDB]

I find I've gotten even "worse" about this as this past year has dragged on (you would think the opposite, right?). Unless I know it's a call from a business about an appointment or maybe my mom, I pretty much just refuse to answer the phone. If it's important it'd be preceded with a text, surely.

[Leo656]

Almost 100% of the time, when I get a voicemail, it's someone trying to sell me car insurance or refinance my payments. I don't drive nor own a car. If they say "This message is for _____" it's never, ever my name.

I'd love to know how the hell these people get my number.