A fear of phone calls may be costing young workers raises and career opportunities.
A new survey of 2,000 Gen Zers and millennials by the self-improvement app RiseGuide found that 42% don’t answer phone calls, while 58% script or rehearse conversations before making them.
The consequences may extend beyond anxiety. Among respondents who avoid spoken conversations, 78% said the habit has cost them earnings or opportunities.
The findings come as anxiety around phone calls appears to be growing. RiseGuide coined the term “callergy” for the reluctance to speak over the phone and finding workarounds like texts, emails, and social media messages.
Jaimee Campanella, a time strategist and productivity consultant at RiseGuide, said that the convenience of technology now provides people “countless ways to delay real conversations” so that communication skills don’t get to improve through practice.
“Text messages, emails, and social media give us time to edit our responses, while face-to-face communication requires us to engage in the moment,” said Campanella. “The more we postpone difficult conversations, the more intimidating they can seem.”
“Unfortunately, avoidance often creates bigger problems than the conversation itself,” Campanella added. “We miss opportunities, strain relationships, and spend unnecessary time and energy worrying about issues that could have been resolved through a direct discussion.”
Spontaneous calls are more stressful than breakups
The current tough job market for young workers, however, may be nudging some out of their comfort zone.
Adrian Poon, a Gen Z HR worker trying to transition from temporary contracts to a more permanent position, told Business Insider — over text messages — that he overcomes his anxiety about answering calls only when he is “in job applying mode.” He usually won’t pick up unless the caller is a friend.
“I would mentally register that as a blind box opening,” said Poon of getting a call from a number not in his contacts.
Poon said that although he has been actively job-seeking, he has never cold-called a recruiter and generally prefers to connect in other ways. Having a prescheduled call with a clear agenda also helps, says Poon.
“This is more of a talking to people thing in general, especially if they’re busy people: I need to know what I need to ask,” Poon said of calling others, including friends. “Like I figure out what I need to tell them and what I need to ask so that I don’t waste my time with them.”
GenZers and millennials have a complicated relationship with their devices, especially smartphones. While younger workers often prefer texting to talking, many are also trying to spend less time on their devices altogether. More people are making digital detoxes part of their lives, turning to app blockers like Brick or “dumb phones” to curb screen time.
Being more conscious of screen time doesn’t necessarily mean young people are eager to pick up the phone: In RiseGuide’s survey, one in 10 respondents said a spontaneous call is the most stressful form of communication for them — more than a breakup or a job interview.
