For today's young generation, it may be quite difficult to imagine a world without mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants, multimedia players, laptop computer and every electronic gizmo that they almost cannot 'survive without'.

But did you know that there was a time when mobile phones were bulky, the designs were an eyesore and they were too much of a hassle to carry around? There was even a time in history where placing phone calls were not commonplace!

If you lived during those times, e-mail messages will be replaced by snail mails or letters and fax messages will be replaced by the seemingly ancient telegram system. These forms of communication may still exist, but they are hardly ever used.

International calls, cheap calls abroad e-mail messages, fax messages, text messages, picture messages, video calling and Internet calling are the modern forms of communication that we know of today.

... But Why are Phone Calls Still Important?

You may be asking why, in spite of all these modern means of communication, it is still necessary to make phone calls.  If you can simply send a text message to inform a friend that you are on your way - why would you still need to dial the phone and talk to the person?

It probably depends on your personal preference - but there are instances when phone calls lend a much more personal touch as compared to other means of communication.

Take a look at some of the instances when phone calls will be more preferable over sending an e-mail, a text message, or using any other form of communication:

1. In business, when you are calling a client or a customer, a phone call is sometimes more preferable because it gives a more personalized touch to the way that you communicate.

In the customer service industry, there is the live chatting option which will allow customers to chat with a live representative from your company. This may be all modern and high-tech - but nothing beats the personalized feeling of receiving a phone call from your landline company, for example, when they are informing you when your phone will be fixed.

In some instances in business, phone calls are more preferable over other forms of communication.

2. When making personal calls, the message that you want to impart may get lost in translation.

Did you know that there are some messages which convey a different meaning when you read it on print, as compared to hearing the words uttered out loud? If there is a deeply personal message that you want to impart to a loved one, a friend, a colleague or a family member - there are times when making a phone call is the only way to cut it.

3. In case of an emergency, a phone call will convey the urgency of your message.

This is especially true if you are dealing with life-and-death emergencies.

4. Finally, when you are communicating with someone who is halfway around the world, making a phone call is still the best way to go.

Whether you are making a business or a personal call to someone who is form another country or continent - making an international phone call is still the preferred option. If you are worried about the costs - there are a lot of ways to make cheap calls abroad.

You can even harness the power of the Internet in order to make cheap international calls using your existing broadband connection.

All in all, despite the popularity of other forms of communication such as text messaging and e-mail - phone calls are still necessary if you want to convey a message of urgency, if you want to communicate something personal, or if you simply do not want the original message to be lost in translation.