“This better be good.”

The best part about being able to text in place of calling is that there’s time to think of the best wording for a response. The worst part is that there’s no immediate reaction or banter. When I text my boss saying that I can’t work a certain day I’m scheduled for, and she responds with “Okay thanks”, it leaves me with such an uneasy feeling. Is she upset? Is she totally cool with it? There’s no way of knowing through text. On the other hand, I’d still rather ask for a day off with a well worded text than calling her and stuttering through an excuse for why I can’t come to work that day. 

However, I believe that calling is the more professional approach when it comes to certain situations. Like speaking to clientele, or a new worker, or having to discuss any matter of importance with someone who isn’t personally close to you. I also think being able to make a proper phone call is a skill that everyone should have under their belt coming into adulthood, because there are some people who seriously rely on online communication rather than having spoken conversations, and when it comes to a point where they have to make an actual phone call- it can be painful to witness. 

Another huge advantage to phone calls is being able to hear vocal cues and get the person’s immediate reaction. Like I said earlier with the texts from my boss, if we had a spoken conversation rather than a written one then maybe I wouldn’t be stuck trying to decipher her tone through text. And a calling usually comes across as more significant than texting. A couple years ago someone close to me called me at 4am on their birthday. I figured if she was calling instead of texting maybe it was important. But a part of me also thought she might just be up to some annoying birthday shenanigans and was just calling to tell me it was her birthday. Since I don’t particularly love being woken up at 4am, I answered with something along the lines of; “It’s 4 in the morning, this better be good.” (Most likely with an expletive or two thrown in there). It turns out her brother had gotten into a car crash on his way home from work. He ended up okay, but at the time she was crying and freaking out and just needed a voice to be with her, as her parents had gone to help her brother. If I had gotten a text that night instead of a call, I would have muted my phone and gone back to sleep. So I definitely think calling is more vital than texting, but texting does have its perks as well. 

One of the huge perks of texting is being able to communicate with someone when one or both parties aren’t able to speak at the moment. For instance when someone is in a crowded place, or a place that wouldn’t be appropriate for a phone call- like a library. Another big advantage is being able to draft out your thought or question before sending it. Some people are better at talking than writing, but I know for myself that I am a much better writer than I am speaker. It’s all organized in my head, but when it comes to speaking sometimes it all just comes out like a scratched record, all jumbled and skipping and repeating. 

Overall, I think both texting and calling have their own time and place. Both texting and calling can be stressful or convenient, it all depends on the situation.

“Dreamy phone call” by Ed Yourdon is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.