The number of mobile telephone calls made in the UK declined last year, for the first time since the 1990s, while the number of texts we send has doubled in the last four years, making texting the most popular form of communication in the UK. Over 150 billion texts were sent in the UK in 2011. That’s a number I simply can’t get my head around. According to James Thickett, Ofcom’s director of research, new technology is “offering newer forms of communications which don’t require us to talk to each other.” Is it just me who finds this slightly depressing? Don’t get me wrong, I get excited about new technology and what it has to offer, I text and chat on Facebook and email etc etc, but text-based forms of communication are limited. You get no sense of tone and expression – I know emoticons are there to convey these things, but they simply do not cover the full gamut of human emotion … It’s not just a social issue either – a phone call is often a much better way to conduct business than email. An email, surely, should only be used to confirm something in writing that one has discussed in person or on the phone. Negotiations that could be completed to each party’s satisfaction in a matter of minutes can take days via email. Quite apart from good business and social practice, the click of a new technological button can have dangerous or, at least, embarrassing consequences. I’m reminded of a date I was on many moons ago that was not going well. While my date was at the bar, I texted my best friend saying “this is definitely NOT a date anymore”. Unfortunately, when my date returned, it became clear that I had sent the text to him… Needless to say we’re no longer in touch. On the plus side, neither of us had to let the other down gently. I’m betting several of you have ideas about how best to use new technologies and, quite possibly, a cautionary tale like mine…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/18/ofcom-report-phone-calls-decline