It is. It is and it always has been. Because since we've all had phones, we've been under a social contract with them. When the phone rings, you have about 30 s

It is. It is and it always has been. Because since we've all had phones, we've been under a social contract with them. When the phone rings, you have about 30 seconds to choose between being ripped out of your current focus (work, reading, eating, in-person conversation, etc.) or to not answer at all (which can come off as rude). Sure, caller-ID and voicemail have mitigated these problems somewhat, but at the very least your concentration is broken when the telephone rings. Email and other textual messaging are much less invasive and you respond when you choose. Having said that, I do find some rare cases where a phone conversation is better than a textual one (complex but short instructions, for example).