Do people just not ring each other any more, is this normal?

Why should we though? Why should we be forced to do stuff that makes us uncomfortable...? If we don't have to........ Having a root canal if it's needed - yes of course, or an injection (like a vaccine to protect us,) yes. Some things we may have to do even if we don't like them.

But being forced to spend an hour on the phone chatting to someone who has rung us at an inconvenient time, (when we don't enjoy talking on the phone.....?) No. That's something no-one has to do.

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This is true, my teen DD is constantly on voice calls after school, sometimes group chats, while they're watching a show or playing a game together. As a kid I hated ringing - you had to speak to their parents first to get past the gatekeepers!

I'm late-40s, always hated using the phone - trip over my words, forget what I've said or say the wrong thing, get distracted by noises/people around me...so glad we can text now. I can also then edit what I'm saying before I say it, and not have to focus on what I'm saying right now (so much that I don't hear the other person if it's a phone call, as I'm constantly trying to think what I should say).
For business I tend to email or text, as we're talking numbers and specifics and it's good to have it all in writing rather than be misheard. I only ring a customer if it's complicated, and they tend to be the same.
Voice notes I can't do as the kids and other family are around, so I'd have to find ear buds to listen.
The only people I actually speak to on the phone, because it's relaxing and enjoyable, are my partner and mum, but we still text 90% of the time.
Face to face meetings I love though, I get on better when there's eye contact.

That's just nonsense.

I love to meet up with my friends and talk to them face to face, and I prioritise time to do this. But between meetings, I find it easier to text as I can fit this in around other stuff that I'm doing.

I find a face to face meeting very rewarding. I don't particularly enjoy talking to a disembodied voice on the phone. I like chatting to people on WhatsApp. I'm not sure why you would think this means that I don't value human contact?

Interestingly, I'd say my 15yo speaks on the phone a lot more often than I do. He calls his friends on whatsapp while they all game online. They can chat for ages.

I make the time to see people in person and usually chat then. I've never liked talking on the phone and avoid calls.
I have one friend whom I love dearly who prefers calls but I know if I answer, then I'm going to be on the phone for at least an hour or two. I work full time. I'm a single parent. It means that my evening is completely disrupted. I'll have missed my window to make dinner or shower or put the washing on. I find it very disruptive. I'd rather make plans in person and have that dedicated time.
The only people I speak to on calls are my parents and siblings and that's because they are all overseas and I can't see them regularly in person. Then we do video calls rather than just voice.

It’s about the/a ‘fear’ of conversation that I am noticing more broadly. If we’re not speaking on phone, social interaction so important. ‘A year in industry’ for Uni grads might only mean x2 days in office face-to-face. Phone convo used to keep things oiled. Agree not only thing.

It’s good to talk..

If that’s not what you meant, please clarify what you did mean. As I’m unclear what else you could have been saying.

I love a chat or a voice note

No, please don't put words in my mouth.

You are still assuming talking on the phone is the only source of conversation. The young people I know (DD is 30 and has friends younger and older, and I meet lots in my hobbies) are absolutely fine at conversation.

A friend called me rather unexpectedly last night, as she'd finished work late but still wanted a jog and I think she felt safer chatting on the phone. She checked before phoning, and I could've said no, of course - but I would have felt slightly guilty doing so. It was nice to have a bit of a chat that way, but it's not something I do ever so often.

Not sure why it provokes such visceral hatred in some people though. I suppose it helps if you and the person you're speaking to both have good phone manners and the conversation flows easily. But I can understand how painful it can be when that's not the case.

You may not be but the young generally, IMO & IME, are losing the art. Few questions or reciprocity spontaneously socially. Not enough practice.

Call the kids. Whatsapp friends. Email for work. Still send birthday cards (and hand written letters to one or two people).

I’m not losing the art of conversation. I just prefer to do it face to face.

I don't think this is worth getting het up about OP. The way we communicate has fundamentally changed and WhatsApp and FaceTime fits in better with modern lives. I grew up with the phone, but never liked talking to disembodied voices. I will do it if there is a specific purpose - normally task-related like calling the bank or making a dental appointment. However, I even resent having to phone the dentist. They say - can you make such a time and then there's a frantic check of home and work diaries to see if it's doable. You then go back and forth trying to find a mutually convenient date and time. It would be much easier if they used an online booking system so I could check my availability at leisure.

If I want to engage in friendly chit chat, I will either arrange to meet a friend in person or if they live far away, we will arrange to FaceTime. Not much has been said of video calls on this thread, but it's been a revelation. You can see the person and read non-verbal cues. It just makes the conversation flow much easier. Why would you use a voice call when you can arrange a time to suit you both and actually see the other person on video?

I can't really think of anything that the phone does that hasn't been superseded by a better option. If the phone range and it was someone I knew, I'd assume it was an emergency. If I don't recognise the number, I assume it's spam and it normally is. I am rarely in a position to take a spontaneous call anyway. If you ring, I will be working, exercising, engaging in another hobby, doing household chores or otherwise engaged. Modern life is hectic and work especially can be really intense - nobody is waiting around for the phone to ring. And if I'm scrolling social media or something else on the internet, it's because I need some downtime to flush out my brain. I certainly don't need more people time.

I'm 76, and only communicate by text unless there is an emergency or a bereavement. People often called me at an inconvenient time, and then chat for hours. I can't be bothered with that. It wears me out. Texts are the way forward.

I’m 55 , I’ve been texting for at least half my life. I don’t often just chat on the phone

For me it’s about people being free at the same time - if I had to wait until my friends and I were both free to chat I’d never talk to them!! We’re all so busy that messages are the only way we can keep up some kind of dialogue

Absolutely not the case for everyone - I got my first phone in about 1999 when texting was only just available to all, rather than only those on the same network, and it was always preferred to calls. I love messaging people. Phone calls have a purpose and I’m fine to call people when speed or a fast decision is required, but messaging is superior.

We’re losing the art of conversation.

You can be warm, witty & reassuring in a call. I schedule them with close friends so we’re ready with wine or tea etc.

It is the way it is now , My friends and family mostly text or WatsApp and voice notes . I’m happy with it as it’s convenient and I don’t want to be stuck talking on the phone .
I talk to a lot of people in the day . If I want to have a chat I will phone family members /friends or go see them .

I'm also surprised by the responses on here, I thought more people would actually speak to each other!

I use both... Whatsapp for little inane things mainly. But my 2 closest friends live on 2 different continents, and every couple of weeks I'll sit and 'have coffee ' with one or other of them, either on a video call, or (more likely) a phone call - where we talk for an hour or two. We definitely wouldn't get a proper insight into what's been happening by exchanging a few messages.

I certainly don't miss the 'olden days' of having a single land line in the hallway when the family could all hear the conversation, but it's nice still being able to actually just talk about crap...

The only people I ring are my DH and my kids. Everyone else gets a text or message unless it's urgent.