Why do people text instead of talking

Why are so many people obsessed with learning about their family history? Neil and Catherine talk about genealogy. The increased study of extremophile microbes has revealed a lot about what is and is not needed to sustain life on Earth. Why are we so fascinated with the superheroes that populate our cinema screens and comic books?

Alice and Neil discuss whether we would miss driving as driverless cars are tested in cities around the world.

Alice and Neil talk about their preferences. Alice and Neil discuss circadian rhythms — the so-called body clock that influences an organism's daily cycle of changes. Why do we fear animals that pose no threat to us? Sophie and Neil discuss the reason why fear of spiders is so common. Neil and Alice talk about the defiant women who fought for their right to choose their representatives.

Call them what you want — trainers, sneakers, tennis shoes — but why does everybody love them so much? Sophie and Neil discuss social networks and why we often use different identities for different social media.

Free, digital news is threatening traditional newspapers. Sophie and Neil discuss the pros and cons of news in print. Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? Sophie and Neil discuss love at first sight. What is loneliness and why do we feel it? Sophie and Neil discuss how feeling lonely can help us to survive. How do you see yourself and how do others see you? Alice and Neil discuss identity and how appearances can be deceptive. Why is punctuation important? Neil and Alice discuss rhetoric, commas and full stops.

Alice and Neil discuss penicillin, the so-called wonder drug discovered in by Alexander Fleming. What might the world look like if temperatures keep rising? Neil and Alice discuss the need to adapt to the changes ahead. Did you ever own a Walkman or a record player? Alice and Neil discuss old tech and why the US Pentagon still uses floppy disks. Neil and Alice discuss the differences between slang, jargon, and swearing, while teaching you some Cockney Rhyming Slang. Do women clean the house more often than men?

Alice and Neil discuss the topic and teach you a tidy amount of vocabulary. Is food labelling clear enough to help us make healthy choices? Alice and Neil discuss chocolate chip muffins along with some other tasty vocabulary. Who were the Muses and how did they help the creative process? Neil and Alice discuss how to be more creative.

Will we still be speaking in an English we recognise in a thousand years' time? Alice and Neil make some educated guesses! Why do some weeks just fly by but sometimes minutes can seem like hours? Neil and Alice discuss our perception of time. What will the cities of the future look like, and will we enjoy living in them? Alice and Neil discuss Neil's attempt at town planning. Why is the disease diabetes on the rise? Alice and Neil talk about the role that diet has to play in this global health problem.

Why do we procrastinate? Rob and Alice discuss why it can be difficult to get on with tasks. Why do we like to impersonate people? Neil tries out his best impression of Elvis while teaching you some related vocabulary. Alice and Rob consider which study techniques are good and which aren't. Does sleeping with a book under your pillow help? Young entrepreneurs are appearing everywhere. Alice and Rob discuss whether grey hair is best. Why do people often say one thing and do another? Alice and Rob ask how far hypocrisy is actually part of who we are.

Do you have what it takes to go to space? Alice and Rob discuss the challenges of a job thousands of people are keen on. Do you believe men walked on the Moon? Alice and Rob discuss why some people are suspicious about everything. You've decluttered and tidied but could you live life free of stuff? Alice and Rob discuss why we give objects emotional value. Are you a teetotaler or a drinker? Rob and Alice discuss what risk to your health regular drinking may have.

What does it take to impress the ladies in the 21st century? Neil and Alice discuss knights in shining armour. Is retirement the end of everything or just a door for new opportunities? Alice and Rob talk about aging. Do you always agree with what most people in your group say? Neil and Sophie discuss staff meetings. Neil and Sophie discuss the health benefits of being able to speak two languages fluently. And Neil How often do you check your phone?

Neil and Sophie discuss how social media is changing the way we interact. Sophie and Neil discover that soil has some surprising qualities and discuss how growing food can be therapeutic too. Sophie and Neil talk about traditional fairy tales for the adult market and teach you some magical vocabulary. Neil and Sophie discuss the growing industry of team building — from zombie bootcamps to horse training for executives. Neil and Sophie talk about gene editing, designer babies and how many errors Neil might have in his genetic code.

How generous are you? Neil and Sophie discuss Mark Zuckerberg and what it takes to be a modern-day philanthropist. Are the days of paying by cash for a latte or a newspaper nearly gone? Alice and Neil discuss Neil's fondness for loose change Tea comes in different forms — milky, sweet or spicy. Alice and Neil discuss how this Asian leaf conquered the world.

Train, car, bicycle Hundreds of millions of us make the same journey day in day out. Take a hike with Alice and Neil and learn new vocabulary. Are food allergies on the increase and if so, why? Neil and Alice talk about the growing fear of food and teach new words. Are artificial lights and late night TV ruining our sleep?

Neil and Alice discuss the issue and teach you related vocabulary. What does it take to be a good interviewer? Neil and Alice discuss TV chat show hosts and teach you some related vocabulary.

How much does appearance really matter? Neil and Alice discuss fitness and New Year's resolutions. Neil and Alice discuss how some charities are helping those in need.

Alice and Finn talk about the passion some people have for danger and the unseen threats we face every day. Alice and Neil discuss the psychological pressures of going to university.

They also teach some related vocabulary. Neil and Alice discuss the long-lasting appeal of this man with a bow and how he has changed over the centuries. Do you know how much your partner earns? Is he or she in debt? Would this make you love them less? The BBC broadcasts a season of programmes discussing women's issues around the world.

Should we all pay for supermarket plastic bags? Neil and Alice take a look at the environmental impact of plastic and teach you some related words.

The bicycle is the most popular form of two-wheeled transport in the world, but could we all soon be using hoverboards? Listen to Neil and Finn's conversation and learn some new words. If you are sitting at a desk or answering the phone, stop for a moment and ask: could a robot or machine do this job better? Neil and Finn discuss the future of our jobs. Neil and Alice discuss what kind of book people like to be seen reading.

Do you like to impress people with a classic book in your hands? Do you dress formally or casually? Do you choose trendy items or old comfortable ones? Rob and Will talk about the meaning of clothes.

It's been described as the world's largest and most democratic classical music festival. What an awful sound - cracking your knuckles! Listen in to Rob and Neil to find out if it's a useful skill or just an annoying habit. Was Charles Darwin the only man with ideas about evolution? Rob and Neil talk about someone else who discovered it first. What are the modern day dilemmas in using a lift?

Rob and Neil discuss the awkwardness and irritation of being in one. Should young people be made to vote in elections or should we choose? We discuss the ideas behind compulsory voting. What do we need our chins for? Rob and Neil discuss how we got them and what our chins say about us. Why do gibbons sing duets and what has this got to do with the evolution of the human language? It's amazing! What part of our body have scientists discovered can heal and help us?

Do you chew gum and what do you do with it when you've finished? Listen to Rob and Finn discussing the history and chemical properties of gum and why it's messing up our streets whilst explaining some related vocabulary. Food banks provide food to people in the UK who can't afford to buy their own. Rob and Finn discuss this how they work and how they help many of the country's poorest.

Listen to Neil and Rob discussing mood swings, risk taking, and why people make fun of teenagers, while they also explore some related vocabulary.

How can remote parts of the world get access to the internet? Neil and Catherine discuss a new idea for spreading knowledge. What makes us angry and why is aggression useful? Neil and Catherine discuss human behaviour. Big bushy beards have become so fashionable that there's now an art exhibition dedicated to them. A London apartment block has front and back entrances for private and social housing - or so-called rich and poor doors.

Does it make sense to you? Listen to a discussion whilst learning some housing-related vocabulary. Fifty years ago, on 18 March , Soviet astronaut Alexei Leonov took the first space walk.

Listen to Rob and Neil describing the struggles of that ground-breaking space mission whilst explaining some related vocabulary.

Furniture with built-in wireless charging technology - like a coffee table is now being sold. So you just pop your phone on the table, and technology does the rest! Many animals face extinction.

But people are realising that they must act now to stop further losses. A scheme to save the Asian elephant in China could provide an answer. How does music make you feel? Research shows that it actually influences us more than we realise - whether we're at the movies, the supermarket, or down the pub.

Coffee is now the most popular drink in the world. But what about the economics and politics of coffee production? It's as complicated as getting the right flavour in your cup.

Rob and Neil put on their sunglasses to find out more about this special star and teach some related vocabulary. The UK has become the first country to approve legislation allowing the creation of babies with genetic material from three people. What are some art galleries banning to protect their paintings?

Find out with Neil and Harry. An electronic device under your skin?! Workers in Sweden take part in experiment which allows them to get in and out of their office without a key, ID or password. He is known throughout the world for his role in defeating Nazi Germany but he also made mistakes. We live in a richer world. But the gap between rich and poor is still very wide in individual countries.

How to change this? The price of vaccines has escalated and some poor countries are struggling to prevent children from catching certain life-threatening diseases, says Medecins Sans Frontieres. Will thinking computers be the end of humans? About 37, tourists are expected to visit Antarctica this season. But should they be going to a region with such a sensitive environment?

At a time when more people compete for fewer jobs, are you sure you present your skills and abilities well to a potential employer?

Listen to Rob and Neil's conversation and learn some related vocabulary. Going to a party where you don't know anyone? Listen to Rob and Neil's advice and learn some related vocabulary. We use computers for everything nowadays. Are we forgetting our own abilities - and losing our talent? Listen to Rob and Neil's discussion, and learn some related vocabulary. Smoking in cars with children might be banned in England.

Listen to Neil and Rob's chat and learn some related vocabulary. Is bullying just an attempt to give a bad name to what is part of human nature?

What would you put in your time capsule? When enemy soldiers sang together in WW1. Are your pictures, documents and videos safe online? Listen to Rob and Finn's chat and learn new vocabulary. How can science fiction help the world? Rob and Finn discuss a project which aims to inspire through stories of a bright future. Rob and Finn discuss the World Health Organisation's recommendations on e-cigarettes.

Is it right to sleep at work? Rob and Finn discuss the benefits of sleeping on the job. Is the way we see famous people a new thing? Learn about the first 'modern celebrity'. You're not alone. Rob and Finn discuss how to deal with boredom and teach some related vocabulary. We promise you won't be bored! Business homepage Business English at Work intermediate Business. The Teachers' Room For Teachers. Stories for Children For Children. Quizzes Series 1 Quizzes. Intermediate level.

Why do we choose to text instead of talk? To play this video you need to enable JavaScript. Is punctuality important? Could you be a victim of online fraud? Melting icesheet: Is it too late Introduction Some people are too busy texting to talk. This week's question Young people are often the biggest users of mobile phones, but in a study, what percentage of British teenagers said they would prefer to send a text rather than speak to someone, even if they were in the same room?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer. Georgina Mm-mm-hmm. Is it: a 9 percent? Georgina I guessed it was b 49 percent. Georgina Bye! Should fast food sponsor sport? Where do your tips go? I love my language! Why are people collecting NFTs? Bats: Friend or foe? Is the planet warming up faster? Is technology harmful to youngsters? Is chimp politics like ours?

Are they like us? A future without doctors? Do consumers care about carbon footprint? Are humans a messy species? Is English really English? Astronauts on strike? What makes a good story? What is fat-shaming? Are trees intelligent?

Can jellyfish help us solve our problems? Melting ice sheet: Is it too late? Could humans live in underwater cities? Do chimps have the same emotions as us? How can we make the web a better place? Is there a future without bees? Will Covid change cities? This change in habits happened largely due to increased use of social media networks, but also a change in lifestyles and habits. Here are some statistics, which show clearly the way of communicating is changing.

For example:. When we take mobile phones into concern, there are certain distinctions. Although voice calls were the initial reason why phones were made, nowadays they are not primarily used for that purpose. There are changes in the proportion of texting and voice calls. According to TextMagic :. Picture 1. Texting is the preferred form of communication among millennials.

Which is not the case when we talk about calls. Texting is primarily a private communication channel and it is therefore appreciated in many social and business situations. Just imagine what would your bus ride to work in the morning look like if everybody talked on their phones! In this context it is also a matter of courtesy. Some things are better written, than said. Texting is in that way immune to ambiance noise, weak cell network connections, or even technological problems like poor quality of speakers or microphones.

One huge plus point for texting is that it is also suitable for the hearing impaired. Next to numerous apps being produced for people with hearing loss, texting still plays a significant role in their communication.

It allows them to answer at the most convenient time for them, not to mention the fact that it gives them time to think about their answers. Also, texting encourages a shorter and more efficient exchange of information.

Nowadays even this short form of communication is exchanged with abbreviations and emojis , so it is clear that this means of communication is all about transferring information as soon and as efficiently possible. Read Emojis in Business Communication. When we talk about texting, there is significantly less pressure to respond immediately. In this way, texting provides you the time you need to form your message in the most appropriate or wanted way without pressure. If phone calls stress you out, check out some tips that could help you to cope with live interaction better!