In the Atlantic, Philip Bump outlines four ways that introverts can make good use of technology to give them the space they need.
For introverts like myself, it takes energy to engage with other people. Doing so requires thoughtfulness. It’s tiring. Expending energy, for us, isn’t energizing. Please note: we’re not talking about shyness, some character flaw. The problem isn’t with the introvert — it’s with the demands you make on the introvert. An introvert can’t force an extrovert to sit quietly in a room and read a book, but extroverts (and the stigmas they’ve inadvertently created) can impose social demands with ease.
…Email is often fingered as a key factor in the lamentable perpetual accessibility characterizing modern American communication. But it isn’t. It allows you to respond when you’re ready to do so. In fact, sometimes not responding to email in a timely fashion can give the impression that you’re already busy doing other things. Which helps create the space that introverts need.
I agree. I don’t like talking on the phone. Email is the best way to reduce the amount of time I spend talking to people who insist on using the phone to communicate with me.