Are phone skills a thing of the past?

Email is one of the most commonly used forms of communication, because large amounts of information must be shared in very little time. Everything from scheduling to pitching to advertising can be done through email.

With a strong emphasis on technology and efficiency in today’s world, email appears to be everyone’s favorite mode of communication. What does this mean for other methods of communication, such as the telephone? Is it a device of the past that will soon be forgotten?

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about the decline of phone use in the world of business. Millennials, typically defined as people born between 1981 and the early 2000s, often prefer text messaging or email over picking up the phone. Offices seem to be quieter, with the constant ring of the telephone replaced by the gentle tapping of a keyboard.

Some would argue that speaking on the phone is disruptive and email is not only the preferred way to communicate but the only way they choose to converse. Kevin Castle, a 32-year-old chief technology officer at Technossus, finds his phone so bothersome that he unplugs it and places it in the closet. Is the phone so inferior to email?