It can be hard to really see it when you walk around all day with something that's primarily designed for voice transmission, but nobody uses their phone to call anymore. Nobody, except close family, whom you are used to talking with. If the phone rings for any other reason, it almost seems rude that anyone would call you. It's almost like someone just coming up to your door to visit without even arranging for it ahead of time. When did it begin to feel so alien to call — phone someone just to talk to them?
Young people seem to have given up on trying to call phone numbers completely. Why, to the young, even e-mail is just too fussy – what with the greetings and the signings off and polite written form. The text message hasn't just taken over phone calls. It's taken over all other forms of communication as well. When people do get phone calls, and it's not from their mothers, they usually know by now that they have to just press the “Silent” button so that it'll keep ringing silently and the rude person on the other end who doesn't know any better than to be calling just gets tired of it and hangs up.
Young people seem to have given up on trying to call phone numbers completely. Why, to the young, even e-mail is just too fussy – what with the greetings and the signings off and polite written form. The text message hasn't just taken over phone calls. It's taken over all other forms of communication as well. When people do get phone calls, and it's not from their mothers, they usually know by now that they have to just press the “Silent” button so that it'll keep ringing silently and the rude person on the other end who doesn't know any better than to be calling just gets tired of it and hangs up.