A self-described ‘young’ asks MetaFilter: “How do you relearn the art/science/weird life skill of talking on the phone?” The poster feels like she never learned how to talk on the phone because she grew up texting and instant messaging. However, according to the responses, no one likes talking on the phone, but it was better in the old days on land lines (getoffmylawn), which allowed you to better hear any types of non-verbal cues like breathing and movement.
For me, I like talking on the phone as a distraction when I’m doing something else like walking or folding laundry, but I get frustrated when people call me when I’m trying to work on something. I imagine that’s the same for most of the people reading this.
Via @ftrain
Reminds me a bit of the movie Topsy-Turvy, set in London in the year 1885 or so. In the movie, two characters talk on the telephone, at the time obviously a brand-new invention. The conversation we get to see is bracketed with all manner of, “Are you there?” “I am here, I will begin talking now!” and then, “I am hanging up now!” and so forth.
Maybe we’ll see a revival of that sort of thing.
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