Mostly that preference seems to me to be rooted in this need for instant gratification moreso than the desire for problem resolution. that approach may seem easier and quicker, but it is simply not either of those.
I talked about efficiency. Consider this, write an email and send it. Wait sometimes a day… or at least a couple of hours, get a response. Find out that the person on the other end only answered part of your question or really di not understand what was written (in my experience this happens far more often than not). Repeat for many iterations. Keep in mind, if you are real good you might type 60 to 70 words per minute, we talk at close to 200 words per minute. So maybe a day, maybe a week goes by, and maybe you end up on the same page.
Make a phone call, person you are calling doesn’t quite understand, problem clarified and likely cleared up in real time. 5 to 10 minutes and done.
So preferences are just fine, but not neccessarily indicative of the best or most efficient way to do things.
I do lots of technical support. I insist on phone calls, for all of the reasons above and then some. It may be old school to some, but it works much more efficiently, with far less misunderstanding and fewer hurt feelings.
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