Chapter 1: The Dilemma of Spam Calls

When I receive a “potential spam” call, I engage in a little act of defiance. You won’t believe how I respond.

In today’s tech-driven world, we can connect with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Yet, wouldn’t it be great if those calls came from people we actually wanted to hear from?

It’s a little-known fact that our smartphones are not just for browsing cat videos or catching up on the latest news. They can function as actual phones for making and receiving calls.

Unfortunately, most of us rarely use our phones for their primary purpose, only reaching for them to contact family or when a text simply won’t suffice. It’s often only when we’re startled by an unexpected call that we remember our phones are indeed… phones.

These calls can be incredibly irritating, stealing precious moments from our busy lives. But is it really a waste of time? Surely we can spare a few seconds throughout our day, right? However, why should I sacrifice any of my invaluable time for a stranger who interrupts my day?

A few months back, I decided to take a stand. "Try to waste my time again, will you? Well, here’s my response!" I answered the call, stayed silent, and simply placed the phone down beside me while resuming my day in peace.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” I sometimes hear from the other end.

While I recognize that these callers are just trying to earn a living, I can’t help but relish in the idea of wasting their time. Every second they spend on the line with me means one less person they can potentially trick.

Chapter 2: Taking Back Our Time

The longest I’ve managed to keep a spam caller on the line was several minutes. Instead of letting them enjoy my Hulu show for free, I eventually had to hang up. Generally, I only keep them engaged for about 5-15 seconds, but it adds up. Each second they’re occupied with me is a moment they can’t scam someone else.

Time is our most valuable asset. I find myself emphasizing this more each day. Regardless of wealth, every individual is allotted just 24 hours in a day. If someone infringes on my time, they owe me that back. If they don’t return it voluntarily, I’ll reclaim it myself.

So, start reclaiming your moments from those spam calls. Rather than getting annoyed, pick up the phone and make them question what’s happening for a bit. Waste their time until they grasp the true value of each second.

Some of you might be thinking, “But if I answer, they’ll know I’m a real number and keep calling!” True, but these calls will come from various numbers regardless. This is simply the unfortunate reality we live in.

I personally despise the sound of a ringing phone. Letting it ring endlessly drains my energy. Fumbling around to silence it is equally frustrating.

In fact, for a time, I kept my voicemail box full just to prevent spam callers from leaving messages. But what if someone important needed to reach me? I’d hate to miss a crucial message from a loved one, especially in a dire situation.

So, spam callers, please feel free to ring me again. I’m ready for you.

“Hello? Would you like to extend your car warranty?”

The silence that follows is now my sweet, sweet victory over spam calls.