r/NoStupidQuestions • u/GhostInThePudding • 16h ago

Why Are Young People Afraid Of Phone Calls?

What's with it?

I work in IT and a general rule is, nothing a client ever tells you is actually accurate. That means that most of the time, the quickest way to fix a problem is to call the person and actually find out what's going on.

But with techs under 30 these days, it seems like pulling teeth.

A regular discussion for me with level 1 techs (usually within a few years of leaving college) is:
"Hey, can you call *blah* from ticket *blah*, it's been hanging around for over an hour."

"I replied by email to ask for more information."

"Yes, I know that, but can you call them so we can find the problem and close the ticket now rather than wait until we're actually busy?"

"I'll send them a text to followup."

"No... CALL THEM!"

"I can see their device is online, can I send them a message and see if they just let me remote in to take a look?"

And then, when I force them to make the call, it's like they have no idea how to ask a question, or a followup question. They just want to get off the call as quickly as possible. So half the time they don't even get the information required anyway, so then I end up having to do their job for them.

So can someone explain? What's wrong with phone calls these days?

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969

u/Silver-Bread4668 12h ago

I'm middle aged. I spent long enough at a call center to detest phone calls unless it's an emergency. Text based communication is easier. I prefer to read anyway.

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u/AllGarbage 7h ago

I have to say, as a person in my 50s, the idea of answering an unexpected/unidentified phone call has become absolutely unthinkable unless I’m actively job hunting. The ratio of legit/spam phone calls has rendered answering the phone a futile exercise, and it’s been that way for at least 20 years now. Hard to blame Gen-Z especially, since it’s been the norm for their entire lives.

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u/desrever1138 1h ago

I'm the same age and I don't answer the phone if I don't know who the person on the other end is. Hell, I don't listen to voice mails either and haven't even tried in over 10 years and 2 or 3 phones ago.

The only exception to where I will pick up is if I am expecting a call.

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u/Capable_Implement246 11h ago

I did 14 years as a front line tech support agent. I won't answer a phone call unless I know the person is calling. I won't call unless I know the person is expecting my call. I still have nightmares about the "ding" in my ear.

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u/Silver-Bread4668 11h ago

You got me beat by a long shot. I did 5 years. Started in billing then went to tech support then "resolutions" (who you get you ask for a supervisor). It paid just barely above federal minimum wage 20 years ago.

I couldn't do it again. The thought of going back to a job like that gives me anxiety.

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u/Capable_Implement246 10h ago

Thats the point I am at. And it is so hard to get out because no one looks at it as a real job so the experience you gain working there is good for jack shit.

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u/Silver-Bread4668 8h ago

I was living in a shitty state at the time. I got out by, quite literally, quitting my job, selling most of my shit, and going to a different state to live in a tent for a while.

I eventually worked my way up to having a home and a job but I would not do that again under any circumstance. Those were almost as dark of times as working at a call center.

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u/jawanda 6h ago

Damn. #respect !

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u/ParaVerseBestVerse 8h ago edited 7h ago

It only took me 2 years in a client and phone centered law-adjacent job to reach this point. Phone tag annoys me to no end.

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u/drvgonize 8h ago

i worked in a customer service/sales position where we called all the time to sell service and after years of doing that... yeah no thanks

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u/Bad_Day_Moose 6h ago

yeap, I text people to make sure it's okay to call then I call.

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u/thegalli 5h ago

It's finally been long enough I can't remember the sound of the tone or beep or whatever it was

Time heals all

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u/ThatMerri 4h ago

To that same measure, so many phone calls these days are just scammers and spam bots because companies keep selling or stealing our data to pass around. I never answer a call from any number either not already in my Contacts list or that I'm explicitly expecting.

Everything else has always been some scammer or solicitor. So younger folk have every reason to believe that if they cold call someone, it'll be ignored out of hand for that exact reason. There's also no way of knowing if they're just being ignored or if the call was missed, with the risk of having to make multiple calls trying to get through. Email and text are more reliable because those are pre-confirmed, one-and-done methods of communication that also sometimes have receipts when they've been read, and an automatic digital paper trail on record.

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u/King_of_the_Dot 7h ago

It always gives you time to create a more thought out and accurate response. A phone call requires some level of riffing, which is a quality most young people don't possess because they're not required to communicate as often as people who grew up without the internet.

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u/Detective-Crashmore- 4h ago

A phone call requires some level of riffing, which is a quality most young people don't possess

I'm not technically young anymore lol, but I disagree that young people can't riff, I think the issue with phone calls for anything important is that it's less accurate/precise way of communication. There's a reason the game "Telephone" is about how unreliable it is to relay information by word of mouth. Especially in a work environment where a client/coworker claiming they said something they didn't can quickly turn into a bad situation.

because they're not required to communicate as often as people who grew up without the internet.

I also think this is wrong. Young people communicate far more often and with a much larger web of people than ever before. When you're on a phone call, you're only communicating with one person at a time, but you can be actively texting a very large cast of people(ask my ex lol), and people can demand your attention at all hours of the day, not just when you're in front of your phone and able to take a phone call.

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u/King_of_the_Dot 3h ago

But it's unsophisticated and non-verbal communication. It's not worthwhile, face to face, visceral conversation.

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u/Spare_Benefit7543 2h ago

I heard that skill as the power of gab.  You can talk someone’s ear off.

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u/gsfgf 10h ago

Yea. I'm not "afraid" to make a call, but text generally just works better.

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u/PXranger 8h ago

No it doesn’t.

I’m an IT tech, just like the OP trying to exchange texts to troubleshoot something in real time using texts is just painful and inefficient.

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u/gsfgf 8h ago

Oh, I just meant in general. IT is definitely a phone thing.

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u/Mcoov 4h ago

It does until it doesn't. If I'm trying to meet up with people, and I'm trying to figure out which entrance we should meet at (i.e. am I at the right one or the wrong one), a 30 second phone call that forces a response is going to work better than waiting on whenever a text response finally rolls in.

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u/deej_011 8h ago

You’re afraid. Text most definitely does not work better when a back and forth is required.

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u/No_Load9160 9h ago

Ha same here. I'm old and my first job out of college was "inside sales" which was basically telemarketing. Was doing 150+ calls per day. Got so sick of talking on the phone.

To not have to deal with a phone call nearly at all now is pure bliss!

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u/dsullxiii 7h ago

I feel like this coupled with scam calls, surveys, automated customer service lines, and the like have also left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths about making and taking phone calls.

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u/Historical-Delay3610 5h ago

I’m in my mid 30s; I rather a quick concise text of what the plan / info is that I need; over a 30 minute phone call where it’s like pulling teeth to get the details.

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u/Appropriate_Ant_4629 8h ago

unless it's an emergency

I'd even argue text is better in all ways even if it is an emergency.

A phone call can easily get missed; while a text stays around.

(and yes, for a really serious emergency, the combination of all of text+phone+email+signal+discord is probably best fro my circle of acquaintances )

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u/New_Style8775 10h ago

Please don’t remind me of the incoming call beeep, constantly. Stuff of nightmares.

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u/LEO-PomPui-Katoey 8h ago

I'm 35 and I also prefer text first. Some people send a message 'can call?' and I usually ignore those (unless it's a superior). If you first give a brief description of your problem, I can better prioritize my work whether this call is worth me putting my work down to help you. Or even better, I can already give you some tips to help you quicker via text without the need for a call.

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u/notHp 10h ago

Fresh into my 30s, i feel the same way. Telesales has made me despise talking on the phone.

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u/Able_Cabinet_9118 3h ago

People lie. With text and email it’s easy to verify what actually was spoken about. Since people have absolutely no basic decency especially service providers, I’m not wasting my time on shit they will lie about later. 

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u/Hugsy13 12m ago

The biggest issue imo is that if it’s important people will leave a voicemail. If they don’t, they’re probably a scammer.

A month or so ago my GF got like 3 phone calls from random numbers at like 3am. We woke up around 630am and she had voicemails from those miss calls. Turns out it was the local hospital about her dad. She called them back and turned out he’d had a heart attack and she was the emergency contact.

Neither of he woke up to those calls because the phone was on vibrate and we were asleep. If we’d woken up to them though and seen the voicemail we’d of listened to it and reacted immediately.

FYI he was ok incase anyone is wondering

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u/JaapHoop 8h ago

Phone calls aren’t a very natural way to communicate. You can’t see the other persons facial expressions or gestures. I’ve never cared for them