It’s no surprise that people are spending less time using home phones, or even having one at all. Your home number used to tie you to where you lived, would be compared at school amongst friends to see who had the most similar one and you’d know all of your close relatives and friends’ numbers off by heart. But traditional home phone numbers seem to be less important to the majority now.
People are relying much more on mobiles and this includes using far more data than calls. A 2018 report from Ofcom revealed that the amount of mobile data we use has increased tenfold, while time spent talking on a home phone nearly halved in recent years.
The younger generations rely more heavily on messaging services such as WhatsApp, rather than calling people. This is reflective in the increasing use of live chats on websites, to offer a level of comfort for those who prefer to type than talk.
The older generation do still rely on having phone calls as they feel they can get a better understanding of the conversation that they’re having and who they are talking to. They also like knowing that when someone calls them from their area code that they are local to them, they have a sense of trust in knowing this.
Younger generations see having a mobile number that they can keep for life as becoming part of their identity. Similarly to how the older generation see their static home numbers, often nostalgically recalling their previous numbers of homes they once lived. Numbers really do become a part of you.
So, are you a #typer or a #talker?
“I’m definitely more of a #talker when it comes to the workplace or trying to organise anything. Things just get sorted so much quicker. I’ve had the same mobile number for over ten years now, so I guess it is part of my identity, put it this way – I wouldn’t want to give it up!”
– Olivia Rawson, Senior Marketing Executive, #talker
Let us know what you are!
