Time spent on landlines has halved in six years

The time that we spend on landline phone calls has halved in six years amid evidence young people find having a conversation daunting and prefer texts and emails.

Britons spent 103billion minutes on landline calls in 2012 but this plunged to 54billion in 2017. 

This was partially offset by a modest increase in voice calls on smartphones, which rose from 132.1billion minutes to 148.6billion over the six-year period.

However, official figures reveal a ten-fold surge in the average person’s monthly mobile data use, which covers messaging, apps and emails, over the same period, taking it up to 1.9 gigabytes. 

Experts say many younger people prefer using messaging services such as WhatsApp and opt for webchat services – which converse in text – when dealing with companies.

The figures from telecoms regulator Ofcom appear to reflect a wider change in how people interact with one another in a world where they spend their lives focused on computer screens and smartphones.

For example, office workers routinely now send each other emails, even if they sit a few feet apart, rather than having a conversation. Ofcom said: ‘Our research confirms that younger people prefer to use messaging services, such as WhatsApp, rather than use their phones to talk.

‘As one 18-year-old from Aberdeen told us: “Calling someone is a bit daunting. It’s much easier and quicker to WhatsApp my friends. If I have to call a company, I’ll always try to use webchat if it’s available.”’

The research found that older people still prefer having a conversation by phone on the basis it is easier to make themselves understood. One 68-year-old from Belfast told researchers: ‘I prefer to speak to a person. You can get a better understanding.’

The research also found people no longer need to remember phone numbers because they now call or message people via smart phone contact lists or click on a company link on a website to ‘dial’ a number.

The change means that, increasingly, people struggle to remember their own mobile number as they only rarely have to give it out. Ofcom has suggested that, in the future, individuals will have a personal phone number for life – without an area code – which will follow them around.

This is because, increasingly, calls are being made over broadband services, such as WhatsApp and Skype, which do not need an area code. Despite the fall in landline voice calls, most people still need one in the home to get broadband services.