Even E.T. managed to phone home, so why aren’t we acknowledging one of the most important inventions of our lifetime—the telephone! April 25th is a time to consider why you can call your loved ones at any moment, whereas it wasn’t so long ago that this would not have been possible. The world is a lot smaller because of the telephone, so let’s find out what National Telephone Day involves.

What Is National Telephone Day?

The telephone’s impact on the world cannot be underestimated, and the inventor—Mr. Alexander Graham Bell—is responsible for us all being able to contact friends and family, ring a taxi, call emergency services, order a pizza, book a holiday, and do any number of things. When answering calls, Bell used the phrase ‘Ahoy’ as his greeting. His patent was filed in 1876, and he managed to get it filed and official just before another inventor, Elisha Gray.

Nowadays, the phone would be almost unrecognizable from its humble beginnings. We can video call, take pictures, use social media, and there are millions of apps to choose from, and just about everything we do uses our phone in some form. When you consider the fact that the first phone book back in 1878 was just a sheet of paper, and now you can store thousands of contacts on your phone, it shows how fast technology moves.

Still, it started with the telephone, but certain generations are better at staying in touch via the phone than others. The sight of an incoming call can send shockwaves down some people’s spines. Yes, many still prefer to text unless it is completely necessary, but this is National Telephone Day we are talking about.

How To Observe National Telephone Day

It all starts by picking up your phone and using it for the function it was intended—a phone call. Why not dial a loved one or friend? This might take a while (not everyone likes to talk). Go a little deeper and delve into the history of the telephone; we can all do with a bit of reminding that we shouldn’t take things for granted sometimes. That is a theme, as getting in touch via the phone shows someone else that you care about them.

Some might suggest upgrading your phone around this time; while this is fun and in some way gets into the spirit of the day, be sure to recycle your old one. You can get money for it, after all.

Then, use the hashtag #NationalTelephoneDay to see how others are observing the day. There could be fun ways you hadn’t expected. Share what you are doing to inspire others, as it might prompt them to make a call they haven’t gotten around to as of yet.

Don’t forget that when you are in an emergency, your mobile phone can get you help faster than ever. We all have the likes of Alexander Graham Bell to thank for the convenience of being able to make a phone call, so why not do it more.