The term "phone sex" might sound quite archaic to some, especially considering the infusion of modern technology in the sex industry. The '90s era was most probably when the phone sex industry thrived; gaining numerous references in the entertainment industry—as one suddenly tends to remember Miranda from Sex and the City.

However, phone sex might appear quite nonexistent in modern times, as it has been considerably overthrown by more technologically inclined mediums such as sexting, FaceTime sex, Skype sex or any other livestreaming website.

In an anonymous survey of 35 people by Elite Daily, the respondents shared their thoughts on what they know about the phone sex concept.

A certain 27-year-old female respondent described phone sex as "dirty talking over the phone," while another participant, a 22-year-old woman, described phone sex as "talking dirty over the phone with another person, usually while both masturbating."

A large number of the responses included the words "dirty" and "talk" while describing what they believed phone sex was—which was fairly accurate, as phone sex entails talking, and sex involving dirty language—most times lots of it.

From the survey, 62 percent of respondents actually noted that the act of "talking on the phone" was what came to mind immediately they heard the term—giving phone sex a different experience from other modern sex channels, such as through FaceTime or Skype.

34 percent of respondents made references to pop culture—in addition to the Miranda references—as something that flooded their mind when they thought about phone sex. "Specifically, Anne Hathaway talking dirty in the movie Valentine's Day... I just think of people saying dirty things over the phone, or describing what they want to do to the person on the other line," said a 24-year-old woman when she thought of the term phone sex.

Other references to pop culture were made which included 30 Rock, American Pie, and some general romantic-comedy films.

Overall, the survey showed that respondents viewed phone sex as an archaic concept that existed in a less technologically inclined era, with a 22-year-old woman remarking that each time she heard the term phone sex; it "reminded me of the 1980s".

The survey showed that very few people patronize phone sex, with 56 percent of the respondents saying they use texting as a primary way of having sex with their partner through technology. At 11.8 percent, Snapchat was the second most popular medium, with FaceTime and Skype sharing third place at 8.8 percent each.

Also, 48.6 percent of the respondents admitted that they have never had phone sex over the phone, though the number declined to 22.9 percent when respondents included FaceTime and sexting in their definition is phone sex.

Texting appeared to be the popular choice for most, as it was less awkward, more convenient and easier to achieve irrespective of lack of privacy. 34 percent of respondents in their definition of phone sex described it as "two people actually describing with words what they would do to their partner if they were in the same space".

"My phone sex experience was good, but it required a suspension of disbelief. I think I felt a little ridiculous trying to sound sexy. FaceTime and Skype worked out a lot better cause you can gauge body language and non-verbal cues," said a 29-year-old male respondent.

"I was comfortable having sex in person with my girlfriend, but all of a sudden, I was super self conscious doing it over the phone," he added.

While communicating sexual desires to your partner can be a vulnerable act irrespective of the medium, phone sex seems more like a sexy throwback to the '90s era and can be an alternative for you and your partner. Though it's worthy of note that there's currently strong competition from other mediums, especially since video sex appears a lot more "real."

However, the phone sex industry continues to exist for those who want a retro-styled way of fulfilling their sexual fantasies.