to ignore phone calls from people I don't want to speak to?

[909090Gertrude]

A family member has a habit of phoning me frequently (like at least once a day) to update me on various things happening in his life (nothing major like health problems or emotional problems just usual boring life stuff). I'm getting really sick of this -mainly because of how one sided the conversations are but also because, bluntly, I'm not that interested.

It's possible that this person is lonely and so I have been fairly tolerant in the past, but my patience is dwindling and the phone calls are getting more frequent and more tedious.

AIBU to ignore the calls and only pick up, say, once every 2 or 3 days?

YANBU at all.

People get very annoyed by this. I hate the idea that I should be available when someone else decides, so I miss phone calls and don't answer text messages until I want to. People do take it as a personal slight on them though.

I have a reputation of not replying quickly now so people don't expect it of me anymore which is great.

I call screen all the time (if you don't have a caller ID display on your home phone then get one). I work on the principle that if it's deathly important they'll leave a message.

Just do it, you can always claim you weren't in / didn't hear the phone.