Is the age of calling girls on the phone ending? Girls under 25 are increasingly reluctant or unable to pick up and call a guy they feel positive—but not crazy—about. Even though text messages cost more than Hubble data, our hyper-ADD, multitask culture prefers meaningless bursts of fragments and abbreviations. For guys near 30 who only started texting recently, this shift in dating feels jarring. Yet it’s the new normal for early-stage romantic contact.

It’s now easy to get first dates without ever calling. I first did this in Argentina due to language barriers; now I do it at home. For college kids this is standard, but for me it was a revolutionary shift in game. It’s surprising a girl will go out when you put less effort into contacting her, yet younger women actually prefer text. Many explicitly say texting is the best way to reach them. Our parents’ generation will be last with saved love letters.

A classic way to get commitment is making someone invest time and energy—girls do this unconsciously asking small favors that escalate until you’re at Zales buying diamond earrings. Now, women make it easier for guys to sleep with them without that crucial investment. They’re digging their own spinster grave, yet it’s great for men wanting hot sex. I can blast the same Monday text to multiple girls I just met and get responses trickling in for ten seconds of work.

Phone skills still matter, but less than before. The dating goal is finding the easiest, most efficient way to get girls out. My hypothesis: it depends on her age and the breeziness of your text style. Younger women respond better to light, low-effort texting that fits their fast, fragmented communication habits. Older women may still appreciate calls. Adapt your romantic outreach to generation and vibe, but accept that texting now leads most first dates and early relationships.