Are they avoiding me or is it just a generational thing?

I sometimes must make an appointment in order to talk to my children on the telephone.  For a while I was getting the excuse "there is no cell reception at my house but we can g-chat".  Then when I was visiting I changed the phone settings so that it now works inside the house so there went that excuse.  Now it is always "I can't talk now but I can g-chat".  There doesn't actual seem to be avoidance behavior at communication, just at using the phone.  I find a phone conversation so much more satisfying than g-chat.  I feel that each form of communication has different uses and that g-chat is not a substitute for a phone call.  This may be just my pet peeve and I'm going to have to "get over it" but I'm certainly peeved.