The Washington PostThe Washington Post

The new phone call etiquette: Text first and never leave a voice mail

By Heather Kelly

25 Sep 2023 · 5 min read

informed Summary

  1. The etiquette of phone calls has evolved with technology, and it's important to adapt to these changes to avoid misunderstandings. Key guidelines include avoiding leaving voicemails, as they are often transcribed into text and may not be listened to. Instead, important information should be sent via text or email.

Phone calls have been around for 147 years, the iPhone 16 years and FaceTime video voice mails about a week.

Not surprisingly, how we make calls has changed drastically alongside advances in technology. Now people can have conversations in public on their smartwatches, see voice mails transcribed in real time and dial internationally midday without stressing about the cost.

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