Is There A Moral Obligation To Answer A Ringing Phone?

One of my uncles had been visiting our family quite a bit recently and one thing I noticed about him is that he never lets a ringing phone go unanswered. And I mean almost never. It reminded me of one of my colleagues who also does that around the office with his cell phone. In the middle of a meeting he’ll step out and take the call.

It’s an example of what James mentioned on a podcast about the urgency of answering a phone in prior decades. Before answering machines and cell phones a phone call was like a klaxon alarm. You didn’t know who was calling but it must have been important.

I think a generational divide occurs with younger people who, more or less, grew up with cell phones. They don’t have that sense of urgency about answering a phone, during those rare times they conduct verbal communication with other humans. For me, the question is, “is there a compelling reason to take this call?” Otherwise I’d rather just skip it and call back later.

So we have a case of customs developing around technological constraints. But those customs often take on a life of their own. They define how we think and behave and our sense of propriety. And I’m sure the generational divide causes some friction between coworkers, friends, and family. Some people will pick up right away and some will respond in a month with a text. That’s just life.