top of page
< Back

(Don't) Call Me! All about Talking on the Phone

How did people stay in touch before smartphones? In this episode, Misha and Larissa take a nostalgic trip through their experience of phones from childhood to adulthood, incluidng shared family landlines, phone books, and international calling cards to today's video chats and texting culture. Along the way, they share funny stories about teenage phone calls, early cell phones, and their mutual dislike of making phone calls. If you've ever let a phone ring because you didn't want to answer it, you'll probably relate!

In this episode, Misha and Larissa talk about phones and how communication has changed over their lifetimes. Growing up before cell phones were common, they remember a world of landlines, phone books, memorized phone numbers, and expensive long-distance calls.

They share memories of early mobile phones, including bulky car phones that were reserved for emergencies because calling was so expensive. They also discuss traveling abroad in the early 2000s, when staying in touch with family required careful planning, international calling cards, and costly phone calls. Compared to today's instant video chats and messaging apps, it feels like a completely different era.

The conversation explores many forgotten parts of phone culture: looking up numbers in the White Pages, using the Yellow Pages to find businesses, sharing a family phone, taking messages for relatives, and even shouting across the house when a call came in. They reflect on how these experiences may have helped develop memory, organizational skills, and independence.

Misha and Larissa also swap stories about their teenage years. They talk about spending time on the family phone, dealing with a lack of privacy, and memorable moments such as tracking someone down through the phone book. They laugh about how strange some of those experiences seem today.

A major theme of the episode is their shared dislike of making phone calls. Both admit that they often postpone calling to make appointments and would much rather text than talk. They discuss how younger generations often see an unexpected phone call as a sign that something urgent has happened, while texting has become the default way to communicate.

The episode also touches on modern parenting, landlines that still exist today, and whether having a family phone might actually teach useful communication skills. Finally, they compare traditional phone calls with video calls, noting how much easier it feels to communicate when you can see the other person's facial expressions and body language.

Filled with nostalgia, humor, and relatable stories, this episode explores how phones have shaped everyday life—and how our relationship with them continues to change.

Transcript

Vocabulary

© 2026 by Extra English Practice.

  • Instagram Social Icon
  • Extra English Practice
  • Spotify
  • Apple Music
  • Extra English Practice
bottom of page