Text vs. Talk

[Simply a Bibliophile]

So, how does everyone prefer texting to talking?

I'd imagine most people here would prefer texting. I know that I do. When I first got my mobile, I scared the hell out of my mother every time I would call her. "You always sound like you're about to commit suicide," is what she told me. Most people say I've gotten better with talking, but I still dislike it.

 

[King_Oni]

I'd like to take the thread a bit further in putting it in terms of "verbal vs. non-verbal' communication.

I know that I write way better than I talk. My train of thought works better with a keyboard. Usually if I have an appointment I even inquire shortly what I should prepare for and show up with files and all on paper. That kinda left some people at social services speechless since I was both prepared and came across as a really smooth talker who was hard to interject with just about anything.

With that I do use text or IM a lot with my girlfriend (which is longdistance anyway) and as such I feel I can express things more easily.

Talking in general always leaves me lost for words as if I'm constantly stumped and have no clue what people are trying to get out of it. I need a clear outline what they want to say. Similarly, I have dificulties watching movies without subtitles... I really lose track and I really need a non-verbal aid to understand it all.

 

[Soup]

Writing & texting for sure. I can manage verbal conversation but I find it exhausting & often vague.

 

[Cerulean]

I'm generally with King_Oni on this one. To take it a step farther, it's easier for me to remember conversations I've had if I can see them in text rather than having heard them. So many times I feel like I say "I can't remember where I heard this, but (interesting fact)" and my friend's like "yeah I told you that yesterday". D'oh.

 

[Geordie]

I prefer texting.

Some Aspies prefer talking because they feel comfortable doing so.

However, for me, I love to think through what I write, before I send my texts to others. I don't quite like calling, because somehow, I don't feel comfortable speaking to other people. I just feel every word I say could appear too weird to other people, because I feel I'm thinking weird. At least if I take the emotions associated with my voice out, I feel more objective and more comfortable.

 

[Arashi222]

I don't really like talking but since my phone doesn't allow for texting at the moment I have to talk. But my phone is really not meant for long conversations. It was meant for me to call my mom and let her know I got to wherever safely or for my friends to let me know they are on the way. Otherwise I can sit and IM all day/night whatever I will email I prefer email a lot. I will talk I have my scripts that I work off at work and I will talk endless about my obsessions but I don't really hold complete conversations I tend to stop midsentence. That was one reason I think that I was good at doing therapy with people is because they do the talking. They tell you how they are feeling you don't have to try to figure it out. And if you need to know you ask them.

 

[Bay]

I hate to talk on the phone, and prefer texting and email. I know many NTs who feel the same way, however, so I don't think it's specific to Aspies.

 

[Deno]

I hate talking on the phone. I can talk in person, but sometimes I forget words, mostly nouns. It is much easier for me to express myself through writing than it is through speech. Partly because in text I can edit, or take the time to think of the word I am having difficulties pulling out of my head. These delays in verbal speech are quite frustrating, a giant delay where I am thinking of a word to help explain myself opens up a chance for someone to interrupt my train of thought.

Most definitely better at text chat, but I do enjoy verbal chat often, even though I don't particularly like my voice. I don't think I could go forever just typing things out.

This just made me think of something, I might make a youtube channel and have it so the videos can only be viewed with the link. That way I can show you all some of my interests, such as juggling, and rubik's cubes without the entire youtube community making negative comments. If anyone likes this idea let me know, if not I probably won't bother.

 

[The Penguin]

I prefer talking.

 

[SyAn]

Most often I prefer typing to talking, because it gives me time to analyse what is being said and how best to reply.

 

[Judge]

There was a time in my life when I could have easily seen myself texting on an exclusive basis. But that was in a time when such technology didn't exist. Neither did personal computers...

Weird to look back and see how difficult it was for me to talk to strangers on the phone. Luckily it didn't last. For whatever reason, I overcame this limitation.

 

[bentHnau]

I prefer communicating via text, but not texting (with a phone) except for short messages because the small keyboard is too much of a hassle to use and the typing proceeds too slowly. Like someone above suggested, I can't remember spoken conversations as well; my visual memory for text is MUCH better than my auditory memory. I have forgotten things I was told mere moments after being told, can't take multiple verbal instructions at once, etc.

When talking, I have trouble thinking of words and generally seem dumber and slower than I do in text. I'm not sure why; it's as if the physical processes involved in producing speech take up so much processing power that there isn't enough left over to efficiently run the language module used to figure out the words. Or maybe I just get out of practice since I talk so little.

 

[Harrison]

I prefer text or emails, if I have to talk over the phone I get anxious as I don't know what to say. All the cues that I look for aren't there, so I tend to leave voice calls to go to voicemail.

 

[Ste11aeres]

It depends on whom I'm talking to. With most people, I prefer texting because it is less scary.

 

[JohnH]

Talking. Text (via phone) is great for short messages that don't require much clarification. "Picked up cat food on the way home so you don't need to" or "Meeting changed from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM". However, often people need more information to understand something than can be easily included in a text.

Even e-mails, which can be much longer, are ignored/skimmed when there is too much info for them to digest, and I hate going back and forth via e-mail to clarify things.

Sometimes voice communication is the best method. I generally prefer face to face, because you can also gesture to convey an idea, or discern agreement, understanding, or confusion from facial expressions that get lost via phone.

 

[2aspirin]

I very much prefer text/written communication to talking (especially over phone talking). Written words are beautiful. I read and type on ipad/phone very quickly. I see tone and nuance in written word. I see patterns. I notice mood. I truly get lost verbally. The information and patterns get lost. I now understand that NTs feel the opposite: they feel written words are often more obscuring of feelings and meaning. I have heard them refer to people "hiding behind text." I think of *them* as hiding behind the verbal -- which is to hide behind a loud, messy back and forth of vague words that disappear as soon as spoken, are quickly misheard, forgotten and filled with little white lies and strange emphasis. So the latter is my perspective. Or was my perspective until better understanding that they are getting the syncing up experience from that until the communicating parties get the gist of whatever they are relating to each other. The information is often beside the point.

 

[wyverary]

For me, it depends on what kind of conversation we are having, and how well I know the person. If it's a really close friend, and one of us has something we want to talk about (if we need to vent, or if we are distressed and need to be talked down, etc.) then I'm okay with telephone conversations. Even then, though, sometimes texting works just fine. And having a smartphone, dictation makes texting even easier--as hard as it sometimes is to type on a smartphone, I occasionally find myself losing my train of thought halfway through! My voicemail "greeting," in fact, suggests sending me a text rather than leaving me a message.

 

[clg114]

I like talking better, it's quicker and less chance of miscommunication. I have sausage fingers, so texting is hard for me. My phone has a slide out keyboard with tiny buttons. I can hit three buttons with my finger tip. To me, texting is like going back to the telegraph.

 

[Daniela]

well i perfer texting and i perfer signs language, peoples tone of voices have a lot of impact on me i think.

 

[icesyckel]

I like typing/writing, but I hate texting/typing on a phone.

Posting here is awesome. You'll notice I sometimes have more errors in some of my posts than others - that post probably was made on a phone.