One thing I can’t wrap my head around is how, in 2014, we have nail polish that can dry in 60 seconds but we’re yet to have a voicemail system that plays the most recent message first.
I stopped listening to my voicemails a couple of years ago. I’ve changed my “answering” message to state “don’t leave a voice message, please rather send a text and I will get back to you”. Yet still every so often I’m sent the familiar text message stating “you have 1 new message, the last message was from….”. The only time I dial to my voice messaging service is when my mum leaves me one (she is my mom, so she is allowed to ignore my pleas for text messages).
Here’s where the headache starts. The moment you dial in to your answering service you are forced to sift through all the messages you haven’t listened to, starting with the oldest first. Despite spending a good few minutes following the voice prompts this is one setting of voicemails we cannot change. Originally the voicemail was an updated version of the answering machine. Remember those from the 90s? Hard to believe they’re on their way to being banished to the same box as the fax machine.
I don’t like voicemails and I’m realising that it has more to do with the fact that we’re no longer using our mobile phones for what they were intended to do. Let’s be honest, how often do you make a call? How often do you receive a call? We live in a world of what’s apps, telegrams and emails to our phones. I only know a few people who call me on a regular basis and if anyone else does, I know something serious is going on.
I think this is why voicemails are getting under my skin. We’re in the age of instant gratification and having to press 1 then 5 then 7 and and and isn’t exactly instant. Humans have created many a shortcut to save time. Not going through the three steps to retrieve a voicemail is one of them.
Long live the text message, voicemails are dead.
Do you still listen to your voicemails?
