These days, it seems there are three main ways to communicate other than in-person conversations: phone calls (also known as voice calls), email, and texting.(I am not counting handwritten or paper letters because they are seemingly a lost art, although I miss them very much.)

These three main methods of communication are highly sensitive, and it is important to know when to use each one. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

The main advantage of the phone call is that one can hear voice tone, inflexion, and volume from the other person. This makes the intentions of the other person clearer. If the other person is being sarcastic, for example, you will know. If you only see their sarcasm written out, you may misinterpret it as literal.

However, the main disadvantage of the phone call is that it is invasive. A person feels that they have to drop what they are doing to answer a ringing phone, and if they are the kind of person who does so while they are driving…ICK.

Email is much less invasive, since a person checks it when they want to, and is thus more open to receiving it than a phone call. I have heard email called “the coward’s method of communication,” since you can say what you want without saying it to the other person’s face (not always good). It is also to your advantage if you write well. However, if you are writing to someone to does not often check their email, you will wait a while for a response. Email is thus the slowest form of communication which I am discussing.

Texting, or instant messaging, is more invasive than email, in that you don’t choose when you get a text, just as you don’t choose when you get a phone call. However, they are considered less urgent than phone calls. When someone sends you a text, they don’t (usually) expect a reply immediately. Unfortunately, some people have an innate need to answer texts right away, such as when they are driving…DOUBLE ICK. Also, I have found that in a text, you don’t hear voice tone or inflexion and may misinterpret the message because of this.

Which of these three is your preferred mode of communication with someone you cannot see in person?