I have, after considerable investigation, decided there’s a reason — other than fashion and lifestyle changes — to explain the popularity of texting.
No one can hear anything on their cell phone. The sound quality of voice on most mobile phones is poor, unclear, prone to disconnecting, and dropping. It’s easier (and much more dependable) to text.
I researched this. I talked to my granddaughter and her friends. I talked to my son and his friends. I talked to my friends. Texting is a defense against poor quality voice transmission.
My response? I don’t use a cell phone at all. I turned it off. Nor do I text. I use email extensively, especially if it isn’t urgent. Otherwise, I pick up the VOIP phone I get free with my cable package, and make a call. The quality isn’t great, not compared to old wired phones we used for years, or even early mobile phones, but it’s better than a cell. VOIP depends on a WiFi signal from your ISP. We all know how dependable that is, don’t we?
VOIP depends on a WiFi signal from your ISP. We all know how dependable that is, don’t we?
On a cell phone, you depend on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or one of the newborn el cheapo services run by Walmart, or some other retailer. Unless you happen to be directly under a tower, you’re going to get white noise, crackling, and dropped calls. It doesn’t matter which carrier you use or which telephone you own. The iPhone has horrible voice quality for phone calls. I’ve heard tell some Android phones are loud, but no one has suggested they’re good.
Our Blackberries had great voice quality. They aren’t players anymore, so you can choose from bad, worse, and WHAT???
We haven’t discarded the out-dated technology. We’ve lost technology that worked and replaced it with a poor substitute. I’ll bet if companies began making mobile phones with decent audio (again), many of us would use it.
What do I know, right?
It’s a Text, Text, Text, Text World
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Categories: Technology
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I send texts over my simple phone on occasion simply because I pay by the minute for my TracFone. It’s faster and cheaper to text most of the time. I have a Samsung phone with a full pullout keyboard that takes most of the drudgery out of texting. I hate test speak as English is my preferred language. It’s a sore point with me so I don’t respond to abbreviated speech. My friends know if they want a response from me they’d better spell it out. I’m the butt of way too many jokes from my friends as a result of my stand. 🙂
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I just hate texting, but Garry is very hard of hearing, so he needs to start using it. He won’t even try to use the iPhone anymore. He calls, but can’t hear my answers. I spent ALL day today sorting out a new phone (one that works) and a new plan that includes texting. It’s only a little bit more money. It’s slightly more expensive, but includes what we need with a phone we can use.
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My Android phone is as good as a land line – if I can get a signal. Cornwall is not the best place for that. I can only imagine what it’s like in a country the size of America once you’re outside the cities. Of course, you need a signal for sending a text as well!
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The downside of living in the country. Worse, we live in a valley. Something about the lay of the land in river valleys makes for a lot of dead zones. We’re stuck with our provider because the others don’t work at all here. The mobile phone will automatically use WiFi if we are in range. We usually have WiFi since replacing the router, but dealing with AT&T is a nightmare. Insanity. I can’t understand why it should be so hard to upgrade a service plan and buy a new phone. The process SHOULD be easy. I finally got it done. It only took 8 hours.
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I am probably the only person under the age of 40 (at least for a few more months) who has never sent a text. Of course, doing so would also require me to actually turn on my cell phone, which I rarely do unless I either have to make a call, or I go to the casino and need a clock…
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I’m with you. I understand how great it is to have some way to call from the road when you really need to, but the rest of the time? Cells phones are an intrusion. And texts require me to type with my thumbs. Not my thing 🙂
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It’s so true that cell phone manufacturers can develop wonderful technology, but can’t seem to apply it to the audio bits.., most of them really suck. My land line is no better as there is a constant “hash” in the background and garbled sound. I thought it was the new phones fault, but I plugged in an old dial up phone with an adapter and it was the same. As most of us know not only phone info exists on your house feed but internet data as well. The phone companies give you these little filters but they do little to nothing the clear up the audio. I was dead set against “texting” because it was far slower than a conversation.., but I too have given into it.., sort of. Oh well!
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I hate it, but Garry should learn to use it because he can’t hear on the phone. Not the cell, not the VOIP units. It is going to get worse. Texting would let him communicate, but he doesn’t want to. I may yet convince him, but he seems to have stopped learning at email and doesn’t want to go further. I’ll work on him some more. I think he knows he can do it … it’s really no different than email or IM — both of which he already does.
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Ben, I am so much like you in my feelings about texting .But since my hearing is getting *WORSER*, I think I will also reluctantly give in. Marilyn is working on it.
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Four hours on the phone with AT&T later, we have TEXTING. And a new phone (supposed to be good for making (gasp) phone calls) on the way. All it took were 4 AT&T reps and four hours of my day.
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I love texting, and I don’t find it impersonal at all. With the use of emoticons it can be even more personal than a phone call or email. I text someone when I am thinking about them but not looking to get into a conversation because I am busy, I love how it is immediate and concise. Texting does not replace phone calls- I consider those for when I have time to sit and chat and really catch up.
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To each his/her/their own. I don’t converse with my thumbs. And I HATE virtual keyboards. This morning I had to change a doctor’s appointment. I was in the bedroom where I have an iPad, but no keyboard computer. It took me three times longer than it should have because the virtual keyboard was having a “moment” and decided it didn’t recognize my fingertips. The keyboard popped up and disappeared at random intervals until I was ready to scream, as was the woman on the other end of the phone. I’m sure she had better things to do than listen to me curse at my iPad. I’m glad you do better with yours, but it is not my natural element. Not even my unnatural element.
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I have an iPhone 4. It’s still working just fine – only the signal isn’t too great in my house. Sometimes I and anyone (with any mobile phone) has to go outside or in the patio to get better reception and to be heard on the other end better (or not get disconnected).
I have ATT and am very satisfied with their service. Also have Uverse for landline and Internet service with wi-fi modem. Everything is working well.
I prefer talking on the phone as a method of communication along with emails. Just started to access texting a few weeks ago. Don’t use it very much. I found that the small keyboard on the phone is very frustrating to use, so I use the microphone feature to text instead of keyboard. It works very well as long as I speak quickly – or else it times out. I find that to be enjoyable, actually.
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Being in a river valley is a serious problem. Any valley, actually. Something about the configuration of the land, but everyone I know who lives in a valley has connectivity issues. We have AT&T and the WiFi usually (most of the time) (except when it doesn’t) works. I still don’t text because I don’t see why I should, how it would be better than some other available kind of communications.
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I have yet to make my first text. And I thought I had managed to stay modern!!! Judy https://grieflessons.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/a-photo-a-week-challenge-muted-colors/
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The difference between a comment on a text is whether or not you transmit it. Otherwise, it’s exactly the same thing. Much ado about nothing.
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But our comments on our blogs are not texts, are they? I thought texts were just on telephones. I don’t know why I have such a thing against them, but then I hate talking on the phone as well and rarely do. I don’t mind talking on Skype, though. It somehow seems less invasive.
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A text is just writing on your phone, then sending it like a phone call. If you wrote a blog comment on your phone and sent it to a blog, how would it be different except that it’s sent to a telephone number instead of a blog address? There is, practically speaking, NO difference between a comment, a text, an instant message, or for that matter, a short email except by which device you use and how you address it. Otherwise, it’s the same. Exactly the same.
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Except few of us hold our computers in our laps in restaurants, constantly communicating with absent friends to the detriment of those who are with us. The same problem I had with cellphones. I do have a fixation on my computer, but when I am with friends I want to be completely with them and in the place where I am–not connected to the entire world.
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Even when I had a cell phone, when I was with friends, I turned it off. Like I did in the movies, at a concert, or at the dinner table. The phone takes messages.
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Okay, then I’ll invite you out for lunch if we are ever in the same place…You’ve passed the test. By then, I will probably have an iPhone and be guilty of every sin I’ve railed against…So goes life. But, I’ll turn mine off, too.
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You’re on. I have an iPhone. I just kinda hate it 🙂
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I can hear fine but I’ve never liked phones very much. I usually use them to communicate information not to chat. The exception has been the past two and a half weeks as my husband has been in hospital and although I visit nearly every day we also use the phone to keep in touch. Mobile phones here seem to have better connections than before. When we first moved to this rural area I had to stand in the street to get a signal but now it’s good pretty well everywhere all over the house as long as you have Telstra, not one of the other two carriers. I text one or two people, usually to confirm arrangements to meet but David says he can’t read the tiny text so we dont’ text each other. Our phone bills the past two months are scaring the living daylights out of me but I just changed the plans on the mobiles. I don’t want to deprive David of his link with the outside world as he’ll be stuck in the hospital another two weeks at least. Phone bills have been the least of my worries this week-but things are getting better.
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We have very poor service in our area, even worse in more northern parts of New England. None is some parts of Maine and Vermont. Maybe we’d feel differently if we had better service. I don’t know since we’ve never HAD good service.
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The rural areas always seem to be ignored, the worst phone services, the slowest internet connections. It annoys me because people who live in more isolated areas need the internet more to access services and information.
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We also have the fewest choices. A lot of things are not available at all.
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I’ve railed about this too, but am also guilty of texting my hub when he’s upstairs so I don’t have to yell at him cos people are sick of hearing me yell. I’ll go for a week or so texting/emailing my son before I tell (text/email) him to give me a call because I need to hear his voice. Since most of the calls to the house phone are stupid unsolicited sales calls, I don’t even know why we have one anymore.Hearing hub’s voice when he’s half a world away in a remote port that has a cell tower is a happy thing!
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We live in a river valley where cell service is notoriously erratic. Maybe that’s part of my problem. I like voices. Texting isn’t conversation. It’s just exchanging data. You don’t get to know people by texting. Or at least, I don’t think you do.
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I agree with you. Our cell service is fine for the most part; I think it’s convenient and impersonal to text rather than have actual conversational ebb and flow.
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I keep wondering how my granddaughter will ever have a real relationship when she hasn’t learned how to have a conversation.
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Humanity is doomed. That’s what I believe. I know a young-ish couple who are educated, have a couple of kids, and their grandmother sees them ignore their kids to devote their lives to their stupid phones/text/internet/games. These poor kids are being neglected emotionally and psychologically, and when my friend speaks up, they deny her access to the kids. WTF????
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I have a daughter in law who is always hooked to a computer, a cell phone, or a tablet. She is an awful mother. Fortunately, my granddaughter seems to have survived and with a little luck will be out on her own, in college, next year. She’s the same way, though. She is convinced she is a mother tigress protecting her young. K needs protection from her MOTHER.
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For the most part, I don’t have a problem with cell phone calls. They’re pretty good on my iPhone 6. I also text, and only occasionally get zinged by autocorrect. At first I used to hate the virtual keypad and so missed the physical keypad of my Blackberry. But now I’ve gotten used to it and can send text messages and emails almost as fast as I used to on my Blackberry. My now adult kids will rarely answer the phone if I call. About the only way they communicate is via text messages,
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I can text. It’s not a mystery. I can (and do) use virtual keyboards, but I don’t like them. They are slow and annoyingly temperamental. I prefer email to texting. If it’s urgent, call me. If it’s not urgent, shoot me an email. Texting combines the impersonality of email with the intrusiveness of a telephone call, making it the worst of both worlds. For me, anyhow.
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Here in New Zealand we have good phone connections. At the moment I have both a land line and a cell phone and use both. Once my parents die I will be giving up the land line and just use the cell. Much cheaper and I love the loud speaker on my iPhone 5S. Easier for me to hear.
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The price of a real landline has gotten so ridiculously expensive, almost no one has one. It’s easily twice the price of cell service. If the cell service were better, if the quality of voice reproduction was not so bad … but that’s a lot of “ifs.”
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And then there’s the infamous autocorrect when you’re sending, which helps you send words you didn’t intend and completely changes your message’s meaning. Ellen DeGeneres has a whole series of hilarious videos called “Clumsy Thumbsy” on YouTube, if you ever want to watch them. I about died laughing when I saw them.
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And don’t forget http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/ I try to turn autocorrect off on all the devices I own, but it slips back in. It adds a definitely edginess to email AND text AND comments 🙂
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I’ve never had a problem with cell phone communications talking-wise, except that one time when I was in the middle of nowhere Michigan in December (I was on vacation)… and even then it wasn’t so awful, I just had to stand out in the middle of the yard in five feet of snow to get the signal. I wouldn’t have been on the phone at all except my bank was screwing me and I was trying to mitigate the damages… but I digress.
Anyway, I tend to talk more than text because I have difficulties with texting, esp on touch screens, and keyboards are a rare find nowadays.
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Bring back Blackberry. They had good sound AND a keyboard.
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My last phone had a keyboard too, but when we went to upgrade… none. nada. zip. They’re fading fast, and it sucks. I hate touchscreens.
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You are far from alone. And it crosses the generations.
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I had a normal mobile at the beginning. Mr. Swiss got himself an iPhone, then he got a new iPhone and gave me the old iPhone. Swisscom realised that I was now using an iPhone and promptly congratulated me with a new contract, as this was hitech and not “field and meadow” stuff (translation from Swiss German). So I promptly went to town to the local office and came away with the same new iPhone Mr. Swiss had, and gave him his handmedown back. This was iPhone 4, which I am still using. OK Mr. Swiss now has iPhone 6, but there is no difference. He cannot hear better, cannot do everythig better, so why pay more? We don’t talk about it. He does his thing I do mine. Son No. 2 has a new mobile improvement everytime we see him. He grew up in it. I had a nice loud tone on me iPhone, so Mr. Swiss decided yes, he wanted it too, so I had to change mine. Now he has changed his again. What a carousel this has become. The nice thing about this hitech stuff is that you can switch it off.
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I have my old iPhone 4 somewhere. Garry has the same, but his is black while mine is white. No giggling. He can’t hear anything on it, even when it is on speaker. I can hear only slightly better, depending on the signal. We use his phone for emergencies, the home phone for everything else. Otherwise, people can email us. My granddaughter drives over to visit (she can’t hear anything on her iPhone either), which is funny because I much prefer a visit. Unintended but welcome consequences 🙂
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I think you use the I-phone more than I do. I carry it when we go out but can’t remember the last time I initiated a call. I make sure it’s charged. With my hearing getting worse and worse (worser??), my disaffection with phones grows. I really, really, really appreciate you handling all the phone stuff for me. As for texting, quien sabe?
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