The End of the Phone Call: Can Texting Hinder our Relationsips?

Cell phones are being used now more than ever not to make phone calls, but as tools for written communication. Texting allows us to stay connected with friends and family instantly. Now, more people are hesitating to make an old fashioned phone call. According to market researcher Neilson, the amount of phone calls has decreased twelve percent since 2009. Increasingly, people seem to feel more and more uncomfortable with phone calls. Salon.com quotes a person’s reaction to even a voicemail as, “I cannot handle how uncomfortable it makes me. There is an intimacy that seems too great, like a song that was written just for me.” This new era of written communication does create a distance between people. Those wanting to avoid a confrontation with friends can hide behind a screen instead of speaking with them face to face. In this way, texting can increase avoidant tendencies by creating an easy way out for people to avoid unpleasant or awkward situations. If we confront these situations in person, we may be better able to grow and learn how to communicate with others. Texting seems impersonal since ideas are expressed solely through written messages without dealing with tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions. Though, without these clues, we lose an integral point of connection with another person. Texting can’t substitute a meaningful connection with someone else that is better formed in person. It may be a good tool to keep up with others sometimes, but if we rely too heavily on technology to communicate, we may unintentionally distance ourselves from each other. Though, it doesn't have to hinder our relationships if we remember to spend time in person with those who are important in our lives.

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/gentle-self/2012/05/the-end-of-the-phone-call/
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/05/02/does-texting-hinder-social-skills/

Written by Lisa Drake