“It’s good to talk”, the old BT adverts used to say. However, data from YouGov Profiles shows that is no longer the case, with the majority of Brits (55%) saying they would prefer to receive a text over a phone call.
Fewer than a third (31%) savour the sound of someone’s voice over the written word, while another 14% don’t feel strongly either way.
Age is a key factor – Britons under the age of 40 prefer texts by 72% to 15-16%. Those aged 40-54 also prefer text by a wide margin of 61% to 25%. Only the over 55s like to be called up, at a rate of 49% to 35%.
Texters are more likely to say that their mental weaknesses include “social skills” (33% vs 21% of callers), “verbal” (15% vs 10%) and “concentration span” (30% vs 25%). They are also more likely to say they don’t like confrontation (38% vs 29%).
The vast majority of both groups use smartphones, although people who prefer to call are more likely to still use a feature phone than texters by 15% to 6%.
Both groups are most likely to be using an Android device (45% of texters and 43% of callers), but texters are far more likely to have an iOS phone (41% vs 28%).