Can texting replace phone calls?

I love texts and email as I have a major hearing problem with telephones. Perhaps your sister in law has a problem too?

Each to his own really. But I have to say that texting has been wonderful for me as I have some speech problems.
It's such a huge relief not to have to speak on my bad days.

However use phone to local friends, to make appointments etc.

I'm another who prefers texting to phoning. If you phone the person might be busy and I hate leaving eletronic messages. Or they have to drop everything they are doing. Or the conversation goes on for ever and its hard to actually stop. A quick text (or email) does the job and they can get back to you when they are free.
Within the family, like others, we have a Whatsapp group so we are in almost daily contact and sometimes the messages fly back and forth with lots of hilarity! And of course we dont forget how to speak (what no sense!)-we meet up more often then previously as its much easier to arrange a meet up -sometimes at short notice as in 'Anyone free to meet up today?' Then when we get to the meetup venue we get messages like 'Im here, where are you?' 'Just parking!' Etc
How did we ever manage before?

My elderly sister in law likes to text but I don't often see her though she lives 100 yards down the road. She uses texts to stay in touch, but I find it frustrating as it would be so easy to pop in or talk on the phone. The way I see it, her texting can be an apology for not getting involved.

I'm with your sister on this. My sister and I speak once a week, or should I say that she speaks and I sit and listen......always for at least an hour. Sometimes two hours. It has always been like this - I always end up with sore ears from the pressure of the phone !

If I just want to say something quickly I always text - it just isn't worth the hassle of calling her and then having to listen to her endless thoughts and opinions. A text is quick and easy, and I'm free to continue with my day.

I'm not suggesting that your sister texts for that reason, but I do still like the option of texting - it's quick it doesn't lead to a long conversation.

I believe that when a group is formed on WhatsApp it does increase communication ability between the persons in the group. A group formed on that platform is normally people that are personally known to each other such as family or friends.

With people living busy lives personally meeting/visiting can be can be difficult to arrange and therefore infrequent. However, in forming a WhatsApp group the foregoing can easily be overcome and frequent chats and a get together online can be entertaining and full of news updates.

WhatsApp is far different from Facebook or Twitter I find due to the group's personally knowing one another and therefore making a far different online atmosphere.

That stated, I am not a user of Twitter or Facebook these days, but a member of three WhatsApp groups being, family, a group of longtime friends, and a group my wife and I go walking with

WhatsApp enables us all to keep in touch easily and frequently

considering that most whatsapp groups I'm in are about arranging meet-ups etc, no.

But do you think that all this texting and what'sapping is changing the way we make social relationships? For the better?
If we go on like this we might lose the power of speech?

Yes, as with others it's WhatsApp all the way here, with lots of family group chat and laughter, and exchanging photos. I love it, also quick texts to friends that keep us in touch. I do see all these people regularly though. If I pick up a phone these days it's to ring my lovely sister who I don't see often enough (an hour and a half of chat at least) or one of the children if their partners are away and I know they'll appreciate a long call. Before texting we used to use email for group "chat" rather than the phone, copying each other in.

notanan2, yes, with Google you can copy and paste it into your calendar and get alerts prior to any arrangements taking place.

Also with Amazon Alexa and Google Home speakers they will tell you at the start of each day what those appointments are. Just say good morning Alexa or good morning Google, and off they go with weather, news brief and calendar for the day.

Great.

texting is also better for making arrangements as you can look back & re check details

sodapop, I said WhatsApp it is a wonderful free service for group communication, cannot be beaten.

Apologies, should be use not yous above. Voice recognition spell checker printing it as pronounced tonight.

I Whatsapp all the time with my family. It's free and instant.
Don't speak on the phone a great deal .

As a family, we text an enormous amount through WhatsApp. My wife and myself have three grown-up daughters with families of their own and texting to keep the whole family instantly aware of what is going on is indispensable to us and them these days.

It can also be very entertaining on occasions such as a few weeks back when the Eurovision Song contest was on the television. The whole family was linked in our group on WhatsApp including the grandchildren with their phones. The comments between everybody in regard to the songs and acts was absolutely hilarious and provided a great evening of entertainment.

With the World Cup about to start and almost everybody in the family being a football fan when it comes to England and the World Cup, WhatsApp will be getting a great deal of yous I have no doubt

Texting, we certainly wouldn't be without it for family communication these days.

I love texting have no problem with it and yes they are little bite size notes

can texting replace phone calls
They already have. When did you last see one of your gc make a phone call. My daughter likes me to call them so they don't loose the 'skill' of having a conversation on the phone.
I last had a landline in 2004, just no need.

there are of course people who find phone calls easier to focus on with no visual distractions.

You can't force a square peg into a round hole. Phone call haters won't be any good at it if forced to do it out of politeness.

for visual and kinetic dominent people phone calls can be very difficult.

Some people can communicate with no visual cues but a lot of people can't, and there is no point forcing them to as the conversation won't flow.

I text a lot, as a way of keeping in contact with my adult sons who work full-time and have a busy social life. Neither of them has landline 'phones. I probably actually speak to them fortnightly, though.

I prefer to speak to people instead of texting if possible - that way, much more can be said, and it's a proper conversation. Text messages can be misconstrued.

I do both, if I want to talk then I ring them, but I'm always conscious of the time.
Bedtime, teatime etc.
If I text I feel I am not interrupting.
I find texts from friends and family useful if appointments, dates or otheimportant information is involved

I've just been speaking to my sister. The call lasted 1 hr 9 mins. I couldn't have told her everything using text messaging.
I only send text messages if I want to follow something up, or send photos. I sometimes send DH a message if I need anything from town.
So no to the question posed in the OP.

Before we had phones, people used the written word. Texts are little notes. I love them. ?

Can texting replace phone calls? I do hope not.
We're about to move into another house and husband suggests we could manage without a landline .
But evidently many people are doing that now.