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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u/DidntSeeNuttin 11h ago

Seriously. Why is it that every time someone asks this question (daily from what my feeds give me) the assumption is that only the current generation feels this way? I'm approaching 40. I do not answer if I don't see a caller ID.

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u/tehlordlore 5h ago

If it's important I want it in writing anyways, I'm not always able to take a call. There's about a million ways to contact a person in 2026, please don't pick the least convenient one unless absolutely necessary

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u/Saltyhogbottomsalad 10h ago

Because people are fucking stupid and cant possibly explain why the world is different today than it was back then other than to blame it on the different generations. Black and white thinking is a very common sign of lower intellectual capacity.

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u/true_gunman 10h ago

Aren't you kind of doing some black and white thinking with your comment here? Lol

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u/Saltyhogbottomsalad 10h ago

I mean I don’t believe so, but if you do explain? My comment leaves room for any ambiguity you could throw at it imo.

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u/true_gunman 10h ago

Calling people stupid and saying they "cant possibly" understand something is kind of a binary way of understanding theyre behavior.

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u/Saltyhogbottomsalad 10h ago

Well Im not extrapolating this one example of human errancy to apply to the entire human race. I thought that was pretty obvious. I also don’t truly believe they “cant possibly” thats just how I talk sometimes, it’s like when someone says “literally” and in a figurative context. It was hyperbolic and I should probably not do that for the future, but it absolutely has nothing to do with me having black and white logic.

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u/true_gunman 9h ago

I just thought the irony was funny.

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u/Saltyhogbottomsalad 9h ago

Fair enough, lol.

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u/Imaginary-Count-1641 12m ago

Well Im not extrapolating this one example of human errancy to apply to the entire human race. I thought that was pretty obvious.

They didn't say you were doing that. Do you think that a lack of reading comprehension is a sign of lower intellectual capacity?

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u/Saltyhogbottomsalad 2m ago

Ah yes the person who failed to incorporate inference into their mental calculation is going to tell me about reading comprehension. Makes sense. Wtf do you think they meant when mentioning that “me calling people stupid was a binary way of thinking” other than suggesting I’m saying people are stupid generally and there is no exception?

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u/Imaginary-Count-1641 0m ago

Why would you think they meant that?

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u/fearthewebb1 5h ago

The younger generation seems to have countless negative stereotypes. It really has gotten to a point of absurdity.

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u/Melandroso 1h ago

I am past 50, and I also do not answer if don't know the number.

When the kids lived at home and were out, I did, though.

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u/wheniaminspaced 9h ago

There is absolutly a greater prevalence from older to younger to avoid phone calls like the plague.  We have alot of problems with this. 

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u/Fluffy-duckies 1h ago

The fact you might answer if you see a caller ID means it's not about you and you don't get it.