Voice Calling and Social Dynamics

An Andy Abramson post pointed me to a piece done by Jeff Belk. The overall premise of the piece was that voice carriers (cell, landline) need to stop focusing on marketing “cheap minutes” that are difficult to use or “expensive minutes” that are easy to use and unlimited SMS plans and shift their focus to making voice calls easier for users, so that calling can once again reclaim the spot of preferred method of communication.

I agree with his positioning and the advice he gives to carriers, however I think that the carriers are fighting an uphill battle here.

When I was going to college to be teacher, we learned a lot about social development of students and the effects of social conditioning. I am not going to bore you with the scientific details, but essentially much of who we are, how we act and what we become is because of “nurture” or the effects of social conditioning. We learn from and take queues from our peers and those that surround use.

Today, kids and adolescence has become accustom to and conditioned to the computer and the internet. For the most part, the computer and how we use it to communicate is text based. Think about it, IM, Email, Social Networks are all based upon written, not verbal communications. Our society is rapidly moving towards one that values virtual socializing as much as physical socializing. The computer and the internet are also quick and easy “answer tools” that promote laziness (due to the ease of information retrieval) and instant gratification. It is these things that now define how the Generation Y and Millennial’s prefer to communicate.

Even if carriers and companies take Jeff’s suggestions and start focusing on the call, the fighting against the very nature of what people now want from their communications. Just as VoIP gets knocked for not “recreating the traditional land line calling environment”, communications in general, needs to be careful not to fail in the delivery of what is now second nature to the new communicators; simple, easy, instant text based communications.

Voice may never die completely, but it’s importance in communications is dwindling every day, especially amongst today’s youth (25 and under). With this, though, comes new opportunities for communications entrepreneurs. Just think one day, we might be talking about the service quality of our SMS provider.