Generational Gaps in Communication

The decision to call or text depends a lot on the intended recipient. Depending on who it’s intended for, may choose whether you are calling or texting. This is because of the generational gap, as older people prefer calling- and younger people prefer texting. There are obviously disadvantages to both calling and texting, which sometimes can cause conflict in choosing which one to do. Examining all factors can help make the decision easier, and hopefully lead the sender to make the right decision.

Sometimes it is difficult to choose which to use, but outlying factors may help the decision get made. For example, older people did not grow up with texting, therefore they are not as experienced in this endeavor, meaning they would much rather join a phone call. Adding to this, calling is also viewed as much more sincere and personal- as you can hear attitude, tone, and reactions. Calling is also viewed as more professional in the workplace, but it really all depends on where the person is employed, who their employer is, and what the situation is about.

Younger people almost always prefer texting- they grew up with texting, so therefore they are experienced in it. An advantage for texting is that it is sometimes much more quick than a phone call. Many people view it as unprofessional as well as impersonal. Depending on the circumstance, though, texting can be much better. For example, texting someone a reminder is much better than calling them and telling them because texts are saved in the chats, and calls are not recorded- so it is much more likely they would forget.

Although both are wonderful uses of communication, it is honestly dependent upon the circumstance that the decision of texting or calling is made. It is clear that there are advantages for both, but there are undeniably outlying factors that may outweigh these advantages.

“Why are old people so bad at technology?” by Neil. Moralee is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

“Why are old people so bad at technology?” by Neil. Moralee is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

“text girl” by uberculture is licensed under CC BY 2.0.