Email vs. Phone When People

Email vs. Phone

When people first started using the telephone, communication was radically altered. Instead of having to travel for face-to-face interactions, individuals could quickly call one another and immediately share information. However, this new technology eliminated unique communication, such as looking into each other's eyes, that occurs between two people when they are in the physical presence of one another. The development of electronic communication such as e-mail has once again completely changed the way that people share information. Once again, there are advantages and disadvantages. Email offers an expedient and efficient way to send or receive information. However, the telephone is still best for conveying complicated information and, especially, communicating personal messages one-to-one.

E-mail saves time. It is much easier to communicate short messages with another person, and even better when the same information has to go several people. One click on "team members" in the address book lists everyone who needs to be contacted. The email then reaches its final destination in just a matter of seconds, regardless of location and time zone. This is considerably faster than picking up the phone, dialing and then waiting for the beep after the message or getting a busy tone and having to call back. If the phone is answered, it is too impolite just to say, "The meeting is on at 8:00pm," and hanging up. There least has to be some small talk, and that will take several minutes compared to the brief time for the email.

Once the message goes out, the sender has a copy in the sent file. This provides a backup of what information went out and when. Similarly, when the emails are answered, it helps track of the responses. In the case of the team meeting, the inbox keeps a record of who can and cannot attend. The subject line on the email makes it easy to prioritize the incoming messages, and people like the "paper trail" that is created. The reader can also readily identify critical correspondence and deal with it immediately. Responses to brief questions are just one click away on "send." Again, this is more convenient than playing telephone tag, fast forwarding through replies and writing down messages, and remembering who called back and who has to be called again and again.

Email can go out at any time 24/7. People can send out emails whenever it is most convenient. It does not matter whether it is very early in the morning, in the middle of the afternoon or late in the evening. Once again, this also helps with communicating with others in different time zones. There are only certain times when it is best to call people, without concern about waking them up, disturbing them in the middle of work, or calling too late at night.