#[1]Atlas Obscura - Latest Articles and Places
[tr?id=1494388927542275&ev=PageView&noscript=1]
IFRAME: [2]https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-PH5RC2F
* Trips
+ [3]Upcoming Trips
+ [4]All Trips [5]Trips Blog
[2nd-edition-on-site-promo.png]
Get the Atlas Obscura book
Shop Now »
Upcoming Trips
[6]View All Trips »
[7]
Mysterious Manitoba: Ancient Ceremonies, Masonic Secrets, and the Unexplained
[8]
In the Cradle of Wine: A Georgian Culinary Adventure
[9]
Baltic Odyssey: Monuments, Myths, and Memory
[10]
Lisbon: Tracing the Roots of an Imperial Cuisine
* Experiences
Quick Links
+ [11]All Experiences
Experiences by City
+ [12]Chicago
+ [13]Denver
+ [14]Los Angeles
+ [15]New York
+ [16]Philadelphia
+ [17]Seattle
+ [18]Washington, D.C.
Upcoming Experiences
[19]View All Experiences »
New York
Backstage with a Magician
Austin
Explore the UT Archeology Lab
New York
New York City Clock Walk
New York
Atlas Obscura's Wonders of FiDi
* Places
+ [20]Top Destinations
+ [21]Newly Added Places
+ [22]Most Popular Places
+ [23]Random Place
+ [24]Lists
+ [25]Itineraries
+
_________________________________________________________
[26]Add a Place
+
_________________________________________________________
[27]forum Visit Our Forums
Newly Added Places
[28]View All Places »
[29]The manmade lake in Puerto Rico's northwest.
Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
Guajataca Lake
18.3811, -66.9212
Perry Bridge, Australia
Ramahyuck Cemetery
-38.0152, 147.2378
Oostende, Belgium
Amandine Museum Ship
51.2294, 2.9239
Sluis, Netherlands
Belfort Sluis
51.3089, 3.3862
Top Destinations
[30]View All Destinations »
Countries
+ [31]Australia
+ [32]Canada
+ [33]China
+ [34]France
+ [35]Germany
+ [36]India
+ [37]Italy
+ [38]Japan
Cities
+ [39]Amsterdam
+ [40]Barcelona
+ [41]Beijing
+ [42]Berlin
+ [43]Boston
+ [44]Budapest
+ [45]Chicago
+ [46]London
+ [47]Los Angeles
+ [48]Mexico City
+ [49]Montreal
+ [50]Moscow
+ [51]New Orleans
+ [52]New York City
+ [53]Paris
+ [54]Philadelphia
+ [55]Rome
+ [56]San Francisco
+ [57]Seattle
+ [58]Stockholm
+ [59]Tokyo
+ [60]Toronto
+ [61]Vienna
+ [62]Washington, D.C.
* Foods
Newly Added Food & Drink
[63]View All Food & Drink »
Prepared Foods
Long-Simmering Soup
[64]A bowl of chitlins.
Prepared Foods
Chitlins
Prepared Foods
Hoppin' John
[65]Are you feeling lucky?
Ritual & Medicinal
Twelve Grapes
[66]A modern spread of Reveillon delights.
Ritual & Medicinal
Réveillon Dinner
* Stories
Most Recent Stories
[67]View All Stories »
[68]This bread comes with a side of fortune-telling.
7 Wondrous Breads to Make When You’ve Had Enough Sourdough
[69]Two decorated ostrich eggs in the British Museum, from the
so-called Isis Tomb from Italy's ancient Etruria.
Scientists Are Tracking the Ancient Luxury Market for Decorated Ostrich Eggs
[70]The Basin Drive In, in Utah, opened earlier than usual this
year—even though temperatures were in the 30s when this photo was
taken on March 27.
Social Distancing Is Bringing Drive-In Theaters Back to Life
[71]Tools and ingredients used thousands of years ago in Texas are
still utilized today.
Long Before Tex-Mex, a 15,000-Year-Old Cuisine Left Its Mark
[72]During the flu outbreak of 1918, phone operators took
precautions—and many companies asked people to stay off the line.
Why Telephone Companies Once Discouraged People From Chatting
* Videos
Most Recent Videos
[73]View All Videos »
Show & Tell: The Radio Guy’s Collection of Scary-Looking Headgear
11:59
What's the Point of Pointing in Japan?
3:16
Behold, the Vampire-Killing Kit
4:19
The Mystery of Hawai‘i’s Doctor’s Pit
4:46
Oregon's One-Man Dessert Winery
4:48
* [74]Sign In [75]Join
* [76]Sign In
______________________________________________________________
[77]Join
*
[78]What's near me?
Brought to you by
[delta_logo.png]
Why Telephone Companies Once Discouraged People From Chatting
Today phones have grown critical for making personal connections. The first
phone companies probably wouldn’t have been thrilled.
by [79]Jessica Leigh Hester April 9, 2020
Why Telephone Companies Once Discouraged People From Chatting
Copy Link [80]Facebook [81]Twitter [82]Reddit [83]Flipboard [84]Pocket
During the flu outbreak of 1918, phone operators took precautions—and
many companies asked people to stay off the line.
During the flu outbreak of 1918, phone operators took precautions—and
many companies asked people to stay off the line. [85]Bettmann /
Contributor / Getty Images
Wonder From Home
See More
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep across the world, putting
billions in isolation, many people are scrambling to stay tethered to
friends, family, and coworkers. More than 80 percent of people surveyed
in the United States and United Kingdom report spending more time
squinting at their phones and other screens, [86]according to data
published by the World Economic Forum. Those little screens have come
to feel like a lifeline, offering a sense of community and a sliver of
normalcy.
That’s not exactly new. Decades ago, Bell and AT&T ran ads exhorting
people to “reach out and touch someone.” The ads promised that phone
calls could collapse the [87]physical and emotional distance between
people. In [88]one commercial from the late 1980s, a kid phoning his
parents from college was able to picture his family’s routine—sister
primping for a date, brother rushing in from soccer practice, dad
rifling through the refrigerator just a few hours after dinner.
But, of course, it wasn’t always this way. The last time a pandemic of
comparable scale stampeded around the world, in 1918, only around a
third of American households had phones, [89]The New York Times
recently reported—and, obviously, those devices were much lower-fi. For
decades, people with phones had been largely discouraged from using
them for gabbing, ostensibly because some towns only had a few lines to
serve everyone. Then, when the flu began to devastate communities, some
phone companies begged people to keep their calls to a minimum,
[90]Fast Company reported. In October 1918, for instance, the Michigan
State Telephone Company took out an ad in a Battle Creek newspaper,
asking locals to “please restrict your use of the telephone to calls
which are absolutely essential,” thus freeing up operators to attend to
“the essential business of the community.” Similar messages went out in
New Jersey and North Carolina, where an ad asked the public to “refrain
from using the telephone except when necessary so that prompt service
can be given to the sick.”
There were some exceptions to the "don't hog the lines with chit-chat"
idea. This ad ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1910.
There were some exceptions to the “don’t hog the lines with chit-chat”
idea. This ad ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1910. Public Domain
“The sociability function seems so obviously important today, and yet
was ignored or resisted by the industry for almost the first half of
its history,” writes Claude S. Fischer, a sociologist at the University
of California, Berkeley, in a 1988 article in the journal
[91]Technology and Culture.
Atlas Obscura exchanged emails with Fischer, also author of[92] America
Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940, about how phones
have helped people connect—sometimes, to the frustration of the phone
companies.
When the telephone first emerged as a consumer product, how was it marketed,
and who was encouraged to buy it?
It was originally marketed to businesses as a business device—a
much-improved telegraph. When the Bell company started marketing to
households, it focused for 30-plus years on practical household
management: Get the phone for your wife so that she can call the
doctor, the grocer, the police, and you can call her when you’re coming
home with company. That sort of thing.
This ad, published in the Allentown Democrat in September
1913, illustrates how the telephone was thought of as a business tool.
This ad, published in the Allentown Democrat in September 1913,
illustrates how the telephone was thought of as a business tool.
[93]Atwngirl/Public Domain
How did that work out?
Household users did use it for these purposes, but almost from the
start customers—notably women—used it for social purposes: To check in
with others, to arrange social dates, and, frankly, to gossip. This was
even clearer in rural areas, where the phones were a major social
lifeline. The telephone industry for decades saw this as a misuse of
the telephone, and even tried to suppress it.
What changed?
The shift was not the personal staying-connected use of the telephone,
but the industry coming around to see these social uses as not a bug,
but a feature. In the 1920s, the Bell companies switched from trying to
repress chit-chat on the phones to marketing the phones as a great way
to stay in touch with family and friends.
Now that we have so many other ways of staying in touch, what role does the
phone play in times of crisis?
I see voice-to-voice communication today as part of a package of
diverse and more flexible one-to-one communications, including email,
texting, and the like. So people may, for example, text a few times a
day, and arrange for a phone call on top. There is some evidence to
suggest that the voice-to-voice remains the most intimate part of the
communications package.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Next in series
Escape Into These Fantastical, Imaginary Maps
When the real world feels unbearable, why not chart a course through
lands that are literally unreal?
[94]pandemic[95]epidemics[96]telephones[97]technology[98]history
Keep Exploring
plague
European Plague Doctor Garb Was Black, Beaked, and Very Bleak
These haunting uniforms make today's masks look tame.
Isaac Schultz April 2, 2020
saints
Is Saint Corona a Guardian Against Epidemics?
Well, she might be now, at least.
Matthew Taub March 31, 2020
maps
The Brief, Baffling Life of an Accidental New York Neighborhood
Welcome to Haberman, Queens: Population 0.
Isaac Schultz October 15, 2019
food
The Art, Science, and Allure of Spain's Water-Cooling Jugs
Used from time immemorial, this traditional technology is now fading
away.
Ignacio Amigo August 22, 2019
Video • AO Docs
Inside the World of an Obsessive Collector of Old Tech
4:05
Video • PinDrop
The Lava Lamps That Help Encrypt the Internet
1:08
Video • AO Docs
Hawaiʻi’s Native-Language Newspaper Archive
3:35
Sponsored by Olukai
Video • AO Docs
'Discovering' Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Migration
6:46
Video • Object of Intrigue
The Real Story Behind George Washington's Dentures
3:30
Video • Object of Intrigue
Behold, the Vampire-Killing Kit
4:19
__________________________________________________________________
Related
Around the World in 6 Quarantine Pantries
How chefs in Bolivia, Malaysia, Italy, Rwanda, Canada, and Thailand are
preparing for lockdown.
Read more
Get Our Email Newsletter
____________________ Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing! [99]View all newsletters »
Follow Us
*
*
*
*
*
[2nd-edition-on-site-promo.png]
Get the Atlas Obscura book
Shop Now »
Places
* [100]Recently Added
* [101]Most Popular
* [102]Random
* [103]Nearby
* [104]Add a Place
Foods
* [105]Latest
* [106]Food & Drink
* [107]Stories
* [108]Places
* [109]Add a Food
Experiences & Trips
* [110]Upcoming Experiences
* [111]Upcoming Trips
* [112]Trips Blog
Community
* [113]Travel Forum
* [114]Latest Posts
* [115]Top Posts
Company
* [116]About
* [117]Contact Us
* [118]FAQ
* [119]Work With Us
* [120]Advertising
* [121]Unique Gifts
* [122]Privacy Policy
* [123]Cookie Policy
* [124]Terms of Use
[2nd-edition-on-site-promo.png]
Get the Atlas Obscura book
Shop Now »
[BUTTON Input] (not implemented)_____
© 2020 Atlas Obscura. All rights reserved.
[125](BUTTON) Questions or Feedback? Contact Us
(BUTTON)
(BUTTON)
(BUTTON)
Thanks for sharing!
Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.
Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.
[126]Follow us on Twitter [127]Like us on Facebook
Want a Free Book?
Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our
book, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.
____________________ (BUTTON) Subscribe
[128]No Thanks [129]Visit AtlasObscura.com
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders
Stay in Touch!
Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day.
[130]Follow us on Twitter [131]Like us on Facebook [132]Follow Us on
Instagram [133]No Thanks [134]Visit AtlasObscura.com
No purchase necessary. Winner will be selected at random on 05/01/2020.
Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Offer subject
to change without notice. See [135]contest rules for full details.
Add Some Wonder to Your Inbox
Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them
straight to you.
____________________ (BUTTON) Subscribe
[136]No Thanks
We'd Like You to Like Us
Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your
Facebook feed.
[137]No Thanks
This website uses cookies
Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies
on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and
analyse our traffic. Please click below to consent to the use of this
technology while browsing our site. To learn more or withdraw consent,
please visit our [138]cookie policy.
[139]I Accept
[p?c1=2&c2=17564338&cv=2.0&cj=1]
Quantcast
References
Visible links
1. https://www.atlasobscura.com/feeds/latest
2. https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-PH5RC2F
3. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
4. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unusual-trips/all
5. https://blog.atlasobscura.com/
6. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unusual-trips/all
7. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unusual-trips/winnipeg
8. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unusual-trips/georgia-culinary
9. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unusual-trips/baltics
10. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unusual-trips/lisbon-culinary
11. https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences
12. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/chicago-illinois#upcoming-experiences
13. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/denver-colorado#upcoming-experiences
14. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/los-angeles-california#upcoming-experiences
15. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/new-york#upcoming-experiences
16. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/philadelphia-pennsylvania#upcoming-experiences
17. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/seattle-washington#upcoming-experiences
18. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/washington-dc#upcoming-experiences
19. https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences
20. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
21. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
22. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places?sort=likes_count
23. https://www.atlasobscura.com/random
24. https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists
25. https://www.atlasobscura.com/itineraries
26. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/new
27. https://community.atlasobscura.com/
28. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places
29. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/guajataca-lake
30. https://www.atlasobscura.com/destinations
31. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/australia
32. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/canada
33. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/china
34. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/france
35. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/germany
36. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/india
37. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/italy
38. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/japan
39. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/amsterdam-netherlands
40. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/barcelona-spain
41. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/beijing-china
42. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/berlin-germany
43. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/boston-massachusetts
44. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/budapest-hungary
45. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/chicago-illinois
46. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/london-england
47. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/los-angeles-california
48. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/mexico-city-mexico
49. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/montreal-quebec
50. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/moscow-russia
51. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/new-orleans-louisiana
52. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/new-york
53. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/paris-france
54. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/philadelphia-pennsylvania
55. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/rome-italy
56. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/san-francisco-california
57. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/seattle-washington
58. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/stockholm-sweden
59. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/tokyo-japan
60. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/toronto-ontario
61. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/vienna-austria
62. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/washington-dc
63. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods
64. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/chitlins-american-south
65. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/twelve-grapes-new-years-eve
66. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/reveillon-dinner
67. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles
68. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/wondrous-breads-to-make-without-yeast
69. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ancient-ostrich-egg-trade
70. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/drive-in-theaters-adapt-to-coronavirus
71. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/texas-mexican-food
72. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
73. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos
74. https://www.atlasobscura.com/sign-in
75. https://www.atlasobscura.com/join
76. https://www.atlasobscura.com/sign-in
77. https://www.atlasobscura.com/join
78. javascript:void(0)
79. https://www.atlasobscura.com/users/jessicahester1?view=articles
80. javascript:void(0)
81. https://twitter.com/share?text=Why Telephone Companies Once Discouraged People From Chatting @atlasobscura&count=none&url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
82. https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
83. https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&title=Why Telephone Companies Once Discouraged People From Chatting&url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
84. https://getpocket.com/edit?url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
85. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/telephone-operater-with-protective-gauze-news-photo/515579042?adppopup=true
86. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/covid19-media-consumption-generation-pandemic-entertainment
87. https://beatriceco.com/bti/porticus/bell/images/ads/reachout-1.jpg
88. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OapWdclVqEY
89. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/health/coronavirus-quarantine-smartphone.html
90. https://www.fastcompany.com/90484820/how-1918s-spanish-flu-outbreak-crushed-the-u-s-telephone-system
91. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3105226
92. https://sociology.berkeley.edu/faculty/claude-s-fischer
93. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1913_-_Bell_Telephone_of_PA_Newspaper_Ad_Allentown_PA.jpg
94. https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/pandemic
95. https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/epidemics
96. https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/telephones
97. https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/technology
98. https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/history
99. https://www.atlasobscura.com/newsletters
100. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places
101. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places?sort=likes_count
102. https://www.atlasobscura.com/random
103. https://www.atlasobscura.com/search/search_nearby
104. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/new
105. https://www.atlasobscura.com/gastro
106. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-food-drink
107. https://www.atlasobscura.com/gastro/stories
108. https://www.atlasobscura.com/gastro/places
109. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/new
110. https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences
111. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unusual-trips/all
112. https://blog.atlasobscura.com/
113. https://community.atlasobscura.com/
114. https://community.atlasobscura.com/latest
115. https://community.atlasobscura.com/top
116. https://www.atlasobscura.com/about
117. https://www.atlasobscura.com/contact_form
118. https://www.atlasobscura.com/faq
119. https://www.atlasobscura.com/jobs
120. mailto:ads@atlasobscura.com
121. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts
122. https://www.atlasobscura.com/privacy
123. https://www.atlasobscura.com/cookies
124. https://www.atlasobscura.com/terms
125. https://www.atlasobscura.com/contact_form
126. https://twitter.com/atlasobscura
127. https://www.facebook.com/atlasobscura/
128. javascript:void(0)
129. https://www.atlasobscura.com/
130. https://twitter.com/atlasobscura
131. https://www.facebook.com/atlasobscura/
132. https://www.instagram.com/atlasobscura/
133. javascript:void(0)
134. https://www.atlasobscura.com/
135. https://www.atlasobscura.com/newsletters/contest-rules
136. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
137. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
138. https://www.atlasobscura.com/cookies
139. javascript:void(0)
Hidden links:
141. https://www.atlasobscura.com/
142. javascript:void(0)
143. javascript:void(0)
144. https://www.atlasobscura.com/
145. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unusual-trips
146. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts/atlas-obscura-book
147. https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences
148. https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/backstage-with-a-magician-online
149. https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/explore-the-ut-archeology-lab
150. https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/atlas-obscuras-new-york-city-clock-walk
151. https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/atlas-obscuras-wonders-of-fidi
152. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/all-places-in-the-atlas-on-one-map
153. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ramahyuck-mission-aboriginal-cemetery
154. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/amandine-museum
155. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/belfort-sluis
156. https://www.atlasobscura.com/gastro
157. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/neua-tune-45-year-soup-wattana-panich
158. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/hoppin-john
159. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles
160. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos
161. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/show-and-tell-radio-guy
162. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/pointing-and-calling-japan
163. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/vampire-killing-kit
164. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/the-mystery-of-hawaiis-doctors-pit
165. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/oregon-dessert-winery
166. javascript:void(0)
167. javascript:void(0)
168. https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/416154737;217514481;g
169. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
170. https://twitter.com/share?text=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting%20@atlasobscura&count=none&url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
171. mailto:?subject=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting&body=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting%0AToday%20phones%20have%20grown%20critical%20for%20making%20personal%20connections.%20The%20first%20phone%20companies%20probably%20wouldn%27t%20have%20been%20thrilled.%20%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlasobscura.com%2Farticles%2Ftelephone-pandemic?utm_source=share_by_email%26utm_medium=email%26utm_campaign=mailto_share
172. https://www.atlasobscura.com/
173. javascript:void(0)
174. https://twitter.com/share?text=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting%20@atlasobscura&count=none&url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
175. https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlasobscura.com%2Farticles%2Ftelephone-pandemic
176. mailto:?subject=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting&body=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting%0AToday%20phones%20have%20grown%20critical%20for%20making%20personal%20connections.%20The%20first%20phone%20companies%20probably%20wouldn%27t%20have%20been%20thrilled.%20%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlasobscura.com%2Farticles%2Ftelephone-pandemic?utm_source=share_by_email%26utm_medium=email%26utm_campaign=mailto_share
177. mailto:?subject=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting&body=Discovered%20on%20Atlas%20Obscura:%20https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
178. https://www.atlasobscura.com/series/wonder-from-home
179. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fantastical-maps-to-escape-into
180. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/plague-doctor-clothes
181. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/saint-corona-epidemics
182. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/new-york-disappearing-neighborhood
183. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/botijo-jug
184. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/the-radio-guy-collection
185. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/these-lava-lamps-help-encrypt-the-internet
186. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/inside-hawai-i-s-native-language-newspaper-archive
187. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/gaze-upon-a-million-monarch-butterflies-in-mexico
188. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/what-were-george-washingtons-dentures-made-of
189. https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/vampire-killing-kit
190. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-chefs-are-doing-covid-coronavirus
191. javascript:void(0)
192. javascript:void(0)
193. javascript:void(0)
194. javascript:void(0)
195. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
196. https://twitter.com/share?text=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting%3A%20@atlasobscura&count=none&url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
197. https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlasobscura.com%2Farticles%2Ftelephone-pandemic
198. mailto:?subject=Why%20Telephone%20Companies%20Once%20Discouraged%20People%20From%20Chatting&body=Discovered%20on%20Atlas%20Obscura%3A%20https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/telephone-pandemic
199. https://www.facebook.com/atlasobscura/
200. https://www.youtube.com/user/atlasobscura
201. https://twitter.com/atlasobscura
202. https://www.instagram.com/atlasobscura/
203. https://www.atlasobscura.com/feeds/latest
204. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts/atlas-obscura-book
205. https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts/atlas-obscura-book