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

Yep. No need for phone calls, save the conversation for face to face.

I chat on the phone regularly to friends, although these are usually prearranged by a quick text. I'm early 40's, spent my teenage years nattering on the phone to friends and never got out of the habit I supposw.

Exactly!

Not enjoying something and finding it traumatic are nothing g like the sane thing - I’m a not so young 60 and very rarely speak on the phone.

The good thing about WhatsApp is we can have group chats where we’re interacting with several people at the same time. That wouldn’t happen with a phone call

And we can make plans as a group then have our chats when we get together in person.

Im not getting why anyone sees that as sad.

actually people talk a lot on phones, on the train, on the bus, in the street… my postman has a constant conversation going, so does the man working in the petrol station.
i think it’s just mumsnet has a thing about it.

But why? "Hate" is a pretty strong word. Can anybody explain to me why speaking on the phone is so frightfully traumatic for you young'uns?

I’m mid 30s and the last time I called friends spontaneously for a chat was when I was a teenager in the 00s. It’s just not the done thing anymore, it’s considered rude and intrusive, and a bit weird.
That doesn’t mean people don’t talk, it’s just done in a different way. With local friends, we have WhatsApp or Facebook group chats where we make plans, talk about random stuff and share random photos. I have several of these groups for different friendship groups and communicate this way on them most days. We also meet up in person regularly. I can’t imagine randomly calling any of these people for a chat, that would be really weird, even though we’re quite close.
Then I have friends who now live far away, I also WhatsApp with them individually and every now and then we’ll have a pre-arranged video call.
The only person I video call spontaneously is my mum and the only people I make actual phone calls to are my husband if I need to tell or ask him something time-sensitive, and my elderly aunt who doesn’t use video call or messaging apps. Or companies through their call centres.
I’m not sure why you’re so surprised, talking on the phone hasn’t really been a thing for many years.
You’re also railing against people messaging and being on Mumsnet, while writing out messages on Mumsnet yourself, which is odd.

Maybe you should get into voice notes. Phone calls are fine every now and again but are too much of a commitment for people.

Put your phone on silent then you won't know when it pings. I haven't had mine off silent in more than 10 years. Oh and I'm self employed too and don't miss anything

I LOVE human contact. Actual, face to face human contact.

Nope

OP do you not get to see much of your friends and family?

I talk to people loads… face to face. Just not on the telephone.

We prefer them. Messaging is neither new nor shiny. The fact that it’s not your preferred mode of communication does not mean the rest of have had our heads fucked with by tech.

The increasing obsolescence of something you clearly enjoy must be sad for you, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else has somehow got it wrong.

I never speak to people out of choice except one of my children who calls several times a day! Anyone else it's only messages.

I'll happily watch someone phone, wait till they hang up and message a few minutes later to see what they want

We had phones & texting existed but texting didnt replace calling as the main form of communication till about 10-15 years ago.

I do value human contact, but in a different way. My group chats are a nice way to be part of my friends' lives as they happen, if you get me - I don't find out about thing a few days later on a phone call where we get it all out at once, I get a text or a picture as it happens, etc. I do get that the constant notifications can be a bit much, though!

I like human contact but in person. I have to be in the mood for phone calls. I can imagine this is really sad when you like talking on the phone. I think lots of us were glad to be released from that particular type of contact, that is all. I agree all the scrolling isn’t good.

But we do communicate, by text and WhatsApp. AND we meet in real life too. I meet up with family and friends 3-4 times a month and so rarely need to speak on the phone. WhatsApp and texting has removed the need for actual phone calls (with friends and family) for many people.. I don't understand why some people (including the OP) are acting like people who don't want to make actual phone calls very often, don't ever speak to people.

Im 40 and I HATE talking on the phone. I have to speak on the phone a lot for work but I refuse to do it in my own time. I never answer the phone unless its the school, DH/DC or my parents. Everyone else can send me a whatsapp/text/email & I'll reply when I get round to it. Im just too talked out at work to bother!

Yip I never call. I used to speak to my mum nearly every night for about an hour 😆 we can chat so much. Since having kids I don’t have the time in the evening for this and now I hardly ever call. We mainly txt. The only others I call occasionally are my dad and sister but again we mainly txt.

Friends I only ever txt. I have one that likes to voice note but I lose my train of thought doing them and can’t remember what she’s asked so I prefer txt.