“Call me.” Has anyone received this text from their mom or dad and all of the sudden become hit with a rush of fear slash anxiety. Only to find out they just can’t remember how to turn the TV on again. There is something about the lack of tone in texts that people, especially parents, can’t understand when translated. It all really is a guessing game. With phone calls there is some sense of genuineness in a message. But with texting, who really knows?

I looked at my phone today and noticed I had 76 unopened voicemail alerts. Most are from doctor’s offices or insurance companies, but some were from my dad. “Hey Hayley — just wanted to see what’s up. Call me back.” “Hey Hayley — not answering your phone, how surprising. Call me back when you get a chance.” I usually get around to returning his calls when I see I missed them. But if he misses my call, I don’t even bother to leave a message to let him know what’s crackin. I am so reliant on texts to do this job for me.

Our generation is detached from the idea of talking on the phone or leaving a voice message. I think about the times when I would text a crush and count the minutes before responding to their text based on how long it took them to respond to me. All in the meantime, curating the “perfect” message back. Getting my friends input. Retyping it, and so on.

I mean how ingenuine could this process get? A process that my generation’s relationship skills are so rooted in.  For example, phone interviews for jobs are the most frightening thing to me at this moment in my life. Why is it so nerve racking to actually open my mouth and speak to a human being? I’ve been doing it my whole life!

We need to get it through our heads before it becomes too late, which it might already be as the tech world continues to swallow us whole. TEXTING DOES NOT EQUATE TO A REAL CONVERSATION. Instead, call more people on the phone. Dedicate your time to someone. Take the time out of your day to give your attention solely to another, or simply leave a voicemail after calling. It shows you have respect for the other person. It shows others the type of person you are. It shows that you care enough. So, once you finish this, at least call your parents. Just ask them how their day went. Go on with your bad self and start practicing your communication skills!