For Men Who Hate Talking on the Phone, Games Keep Friendships Alive

Like over two dozen other people Kotaku spoke to—the vast majority of whom were men—Gill says online gaming has replaced phone calls, and even real-life meetups. It’s a little heartwarming, then, that the men we spoke to said they rely on online games and voice chat to achieve the interpersonal closeness that can feel contrived or heavy-handed in a prearranged phone call. “The games are sort of a substitute for driving, or chopping wood, or whatever the hell guys used to do when they weren’t comfortable just talking,”
Three researchers I spoke to say that they do think that there are specific reasons why men prefer catching up casually over games instead of segmenting out intentional phone time.

Source: kotaku.com