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

[Gurolou]

All my friends want to text or WhatsApp, it seems to be a thing, I hate it. We are all in our forties and fifties so texting wasn't even a thing for most of our lives. Is this really the same for everyone and just how things are? Because I actually hate texts and WhatsApp it just feels like stuff piling on top of me, and I miss talking to people.

Thank Christ. That's two of us at least.

Early 30s, I only do WhatsApp and other messaging, the only calls I get are spam, I don’t miss calls and I find I keep in touch more as doesn’t require us to be free at the same time.

I'm 46 and I hate phone calls. They are usually inconvenient. With messages, I can read and answer in my own time. I've never liked phone calls so I was very happy when I could start messaging people instead.

I answer the phone and the door bell. I never even look to see who is on the other side. I cannot imagine how awful a person's life must be or how threatened they must feel to avoid answering. I am so so sorry for you ..

I’m 53 but grew up without a phone and never firmed the habit of phone chats. I have one close friend who lives at a distance to whom I talk regularly on the phone for an hour or more at a time, but the only other people I ever phone are my parents, and DH and DS, other than in situations where it’s a matter of ‘I’m here and can’t see you?’

I'm in my 60s and am definitely team WhatsApp. I don't even like receiving texts.

ETA all my notifications are on silent, but I do check my phone quite frequently.

Hate voice notes but WhatsApp runs my whole life! Love it.

I only speak to my mum and children on the phone, prefer FaceTime for child that moved away. With friends it's always WhatsApp or text. I wouldn't really like a friend to call me just for a chat and I would be astonished if they did. It would stop me doing whatever I was doing. Much prefer messaging.
I'm in my 50s and used to spend a long time talking on the phone when younger, but I've moved on from it now!

Love a phone chat. I have one friend who I will talk to for up to two hours at a time. WhatsApp etc is just a pain.

Im 60 and do most of my communication via WhatsApp. I do speak to friends occasionally on the phone if there’s a lot to say but other than that the only person who still calls regularly is my 83 year old mum.

I hate voice notes. Thankfully only ever knee one person who sent them and I told her I don’t ever listen to them so she stopped.

Turn notifications off.

set do not disturb overnight.
mute annoying what’s apps that you only check occasionally (class group, choir information, football lift group etc)

I like to hear your voice, so phone calls for me. I use text for messages, usually once sentence, for meet ups, etc., but I would rather chat by phone for anything longer.

My SIL texts great big long paragraphs, I answer in one sentence. By the second long text, I find it easier just to call her.

I’m in my 60’s and it’s WhatsApp all the way. I have one friend who uses text messages but that seems really old fashioned now. I face time family but never phone friends. I never have the sound switched on on my phone so I don’t hear notifications.

@Who has half an hour to spare to sit rabbiting on the phone?

Wild as it sounds, the people who have half an hour to spare for doom scrolling/posting at strangers on Mumsnet/looking at cats on the internet, probably have half an hour to spare for talking on the phone.

I'm 65. Nowadays I only phone my mother. Occasional calls at work but usually a teams call, preceded by a teams message to say, are you free for a call.

If my landline rings it's my mum, my 94 year old neighbour or confirmation of a hospital appointment. Other calls are scams.

The children, grown-up, usually message. Occasionally they call but never ever the landline. Actually, I don't even know our landline number without checking, although I remember my grandparents' number (deceased decades ago).

My phone doesn't ping because I mute Whatsapp notifications. I check for messages when it's convenient for me.

Who still has their notifications on in 2026??

I don't think I have rung anyone at all for approx 25 years (barring a few business calls). I loathe the phone, and I hate the idea of disturbing anyone.
I have never Facetimed/made a video call in my entire life, and have no intention of doing so.
I'm 60.

I prefer speaking with friends. You can cover so much more in a 10 min chat than bloody texting etc . Also I wonder how many misunderstandings people have had texting where context,tone of voice has been missed.

It's fairly normal now. TBH, I was never one for long phone conversations, I prefer seeing people in person. I don't have long message exchanges with friends, I just use messages to arrange meeting in person. I have no massive objection to phone calls though - if I had a friend who wanted those I'd be happy to do it. In my late 40s, btw.

No. None of the above. I know 'older' people used to prefer a phone call (the ones I knew anyway!) like born pre mid 1940s, but I don't have any relatives or friends who are in this age group. (All my relatives born before mid 1940s are dead.) Everyone I know prefers WhatsApp, texting, or even email. I do know some people born pre mid 1940s (in my village, and in a couple of hobby grouos,) but I speak to them in person when I see them.

@My SIL texts great big long paragraphs, I answer in one sentence. By the second long text, I find it easier just to call her.

My sister does the same! Screeds and screeds of it. I try to call her but she texts to say she is too anxious to talk. And then continues to bombard me with texts.

Oh and my hone is always on silent. I hate pings and ring tones

The only people I would answer the phone to are my children’s school or work because I know it would be a straight to the point conversation with no small talk. I despise speaking on the phone - I feel trapped if I’m on the phone to someone and pressured to speak. I think it comes from years of family members not letting me get off the phone when I was ready and keeping me there for literally hours, the amount off things I missed because my family members wouldn’t let me get off the call to them is huge. If I ended the call myself they would then continuously ring the phone until I answered again. I like the fact the phone rarely rings now!

People have been texting since the early/mid1990’s so for most of your adult life.