To choose or not to choose

Do you prefer texting?

Or do you prefer calling instead?

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I know it's very common and not unheard of; but I'm sure as many times as you come across that, you never really paid much attention to what you feel about it, or did you? I'm leaning towards the former. But whenever we see these sorts of questions on the internet, our eyebrows flick and we skip it. But we never give it a second glance at what we really feel about these two modes of communication.

Centuries ago, communication was either face-to-face or letters and summons. You obviously have heard of pigeons delivering letters at a short distance. Even they'd use hawk and eagles to carry letters. Let's not forget Harry Potter and the letter + package carrier owls. Then there were রানার who would walk hundreds of miles to dispatch letters, news, and packages. But that's history. We have within our reach apps in abundance to call or text at the other end of the world and our service providers also allow us to call and text at a cheaper rate. Yes, the price may look quite steep as of now but remember when each call was 7TK and texts were around 5TK?

I don't have a preference though texting has been my primary mode of communication for some time now; texting via apps to be more precise. But there is a certain number of calls that I place every day but the number is relatively lower than the number of texts. There are pros and cons to both of them.

The verbal mode of communication, even though was highly desired not too long ago, now sharing a similar or lesser position with counterparts. It enables us to decipher the emotions that they are feeling by talking to them although it's hard to see the expression of the person you're talking to. A phone call seems too urgent and unavoidable; if you are busy doing something then that call can prove to be annoying to you and/or others. Think of how much a telemarketer call or a random call from your service provider displeases you. And believe me, I have blocked so many of those numbers just to put myself in a peaceful state.

Texting enough leeway; I can choose when or what to reply or simply ignore. But neither can you see the face of the person you're talking to nor their voice so it's hard to grasp the emotion they're feeling. But the upside of that would be emojis. Yes, even I'm very fond of them, and even though I don't use it on every text I sent but the amount is still pretty much huge. Plus they keep the conversation (through text) lighthearted. So, texting has its upside and more importantly, if you write something then there's a lesser chance of forgetting.

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Even though I'm preferring texting more than calling nowadays, I can switch to either way and not be uncomfortable by any means. Why do I prefer to text more than calls? Well, the schedule that I'm leading nowadays barely allows me rest, meals at odd hours of the day, and often stressed out. As much as I'd love to talk to my friends for a while, straight, I don't have the luxury to do so. Often these days they text or I text but my replies are often hours apart. So, whether I prefer to or not, my circumstances have somehow pushed me towards one and pulled me away from the other. Although, I very much enjoy hearing from my friends and relatives every now and then, the busier we get the further apart we drift to.

I cannot say that the conversations are getting shorter. If you're less conversing with one person then chances are you're talking to someone else more. So, it is not just a preference of which communication method or mode you are choosing but also towards who you're making an effort to keep in touch with.