this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 145 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah, this can be a generational cultural difference.

I mourned the death of my grandfather three separate times when my mother texted me "please call". Each time when I called back I learned something different:

  1. We had to change our lunch plans.
  2. There was an alarming local news article about driving conditions.
  3. My grandfather had died.
[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 year ago

If these were all in the same day that's quite the series of events

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The last time my dad called was 16 years ago when my mum was bleeding out after surgery and we didn't know if she was going to make it.

Other than that, it's WhatsApp messages, and they're usually about the dog.

I would 100% think someone had died if my dad called.

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[–] [email protected] 71 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

This is probably family dependent. My family is similar to OP's, we usually text if we want to have casual conversations. Voice calls are limited to serious topics only... unless I text them "hey, let's have a call" or something like that first.

[–] [email protected] 63 points 1 year ago (12 children)

Nobody is actually this terrified of a phone call right? Besides the usual social anxiety anyway.

My father's phone doesn't even have internet, hell, they barely built a computer that could beat Nazi encryption back when he was born, he didn't even see his first computer in person until he was what, 50?

He struggles at testing, no way could he navigate a modern phone haha. So, phone calls are normal for us :-)

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

You and your dad sound like what, millennial and Boomer? You're definitely not Gen Z or younger though I'm assuming.

I'm 40 so elder millennial I guess. I like Gen Z overall but goddamn do they SUCK at using the damn phone. I train a lot of 22-24yo kids at work and they truly are terrified of phone calls. Video call, friggin forget it man. Like they might turn on their camera once if I directly ask or tell them but it's a battle every time.

This is the same generation that's demanding full remote, and they refuse to actually communicate remotely. It's really frustrating and annoying. How in the world do you expect to function in a group if you can't or won't communicate with people in real time? Do they really expect to go to their entire careers only texting or emailing?

Again I like them overall, they are very smart educated and resourceful, but their communication absolutely fucking sucks. So yeah this comic is super accurate but I don't find it funny.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How in the world do you expect to function in a group if you can’t or won’t communicate with people in real time?

wow. i thought it was just me.

I've got really good people on the team -- but only if you trust them go do stuff with zero communications and then the pop back up with completed work. Which is kinda ok if you don't need to do any team projects. Its driving me nuts and I totally see why some managers are like "fuck it, get your ass into the same room". Its simply easier than coaching people on how to be slightly better than a chatbot.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

My dad is probably about the same age (currently 81)

He didn't touch a computer until the mid 2000s, and he just wanted to be able to email. It was a looooong journey to get him comfortable doing that.

Since he got a smart phone he texts literally every day, has installed a number of apps himself, can mostly get new services working himself (he did Amazon Prime, with some mild hand holding).

If anything, I call him more then he calls me!

It's doable :)

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[–] ThatWeirdGuy1001 57 points 1 year ago (3 children)

This is something that idk if I'll ever get used to about lemmy

It's a meme. It's a joke. It's deliberately blown out of proportion.

Y'all need to calm tf down.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 1 year ago (19 children)

so.. instead of discussing this... we should what? Post lol in all our coments?

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Lol i kinda enjoy the weirdly serious discussions about shitposts. Its both absurd and oddly insightful at times.

Lemmys will follow any topic over the edge of a cliff :P

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[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 year ago (17 children)

Are zoomers really like this?

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm 40. I don't even answer the phone if it rings. If it's important they can leave a message.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Sorry if I don't think minor topics are worthy of the immediate attention needed for a phone call?

Phone calls are reserved for emergencies. Otherwise you're just demanding the instant attention of someone for nothing.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Phone calls aren't reserved for anything. They're just phone calls. I'm a huge introvert but it's like in one particular way millions of people decided to try and be the most annoying introvert possible

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think all zoomers are, but a LOT of the people I know are TERRIFIED of phone calls. I was like that too, before I started applying for jobs and had to make like 3 calls a week.

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[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 year ago (24 children)

???

Why would she react like that to a phonecall?

[–] [email protected] 98 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Young people don't call unless it's serious business.

Why she reacted like that while also knowing her dad still calls people? No idea

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago

Not just young people. I've seen this kind of behavior in surprisingly old people such as Gen X and even Baby Boomers, but I've seen it in a LOT of millennials, the youngest of whom are now in their early thirties and the oldest are in their forties.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Not just young people. I am 48, and if I get a call from my mom I would’ve thought something happened to my dad.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yep. Basically any generation that grew up with texting and chat kinda leans this way... so millennials and younger. But also some gen x.

Phone calls are for things that can't wait and need the other person to drop what they're doing, and things urgent like that tend to be medical or work stuff. Or things time sensitive in another way.

Demanding the other person stop what they're doing to attend to you immediately is considered kinda rude for minor topics when such an easy and less pushy alternative is available.

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[–] [email protected] 51 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Because phonecalls are reserved for when you immediately with no delay need someone.

Asking about a show is not one of those cases.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago (15 children)

Or just want to talk to someone? Why are we simultaneously normalizing anti-social behavior and wondering why the young people are so unhappy?

[–] JohnDClay 25 points 1 year ago (8 children)

Why not text 'wanna talk sometime'? A call demands an immediate response, so reserve it for things that demand immediate responses.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (24 children)

No it doesn't. Just don't pick up the phone. If it's important they'll text you to pick up the phone. There's a reason the terms "phone tag" and "screening calls" exist.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

In our family it looks exactly like this, that's why I found it very funny :)

We usually just chat (or videochat) and when f.e. dad randomly calls me then it's some serious business. And for that brief moment my mind jumps to most catastrophic scenarios why he could be calling me. And I think it goes both ways because when I call dad the first question usually is "Hi, did something happen?"

[–] Wollang 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I react this way when my mom calls because she never calls me and the one time she did, it was because my grandmother died.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago

I think this is a skill issue

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This comic strip is flawed… nobody who would react that way to a phone call would have their phone out of silent mode.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So many people (myself included) text as the default method of phone communication.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

In some cases it's more practical as you can keep multitasking. Especially for work I like when people send me emails or chat messages instead of holding meetings or barging into office, even worse video calls.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (11 children)

To me it feels texting takes longer. Call someone up and it's done in less than a minute. Why write some long ass message?

Most folks don't even bother writing back... Message seen? Best forget about it.

Edit: typo

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

I have to call people for work to let them know when I'll arrive to provide the service. 3/4 of the time nobody answers, of those half either don't have vm setup or it is full and won't take an messages. The only people who do pick up are the elderly.

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