In an age defined by technology, there’s irony in raising a generation being called tech illiterate.
While it’s not true for their entire generation, increasing numbers of those born between 1997 and 2012, also called Generation Z, are struggling to make phone calls, a hurdle both personally and professionally.
Not many studies have been published about Gen Z’s reluctance to use their fancy smartphones as phones. In fact, those sponsoring the few studies are primarily network providers and phone companies who stand to lose the most if trends continue away from phone calls.
One of these studies, commissioned by the U.K.’s Sky Mobile, compared the answers of parents and 18–24-year-olds. They found 71% of parents said phone calls were their preferred way to stay connected, but a mere 10% of those younger said the same. Only 47% of the 18–24-year-olds said they would prefer to be prewarned with a text message before the call, while 24% refused to make phone calls at all.
These statistics aren’t only applicable in the U.K. Tracy Lungrin, director of career services at Wayne State College, said she has also noticed a trend of more students being scared to make phone calls.
“I would say I was even seeing that before COVID-19, but it’s definitely increased since,” Lungrin said. “But still, it’s more than phone calls. It’s students being scared to reach out in general to talk to somebody, whether that be even an email, but especially a phone call or Zoom.”
Why would Gen Z be increasingly avoiding phone calls? Research hasn’t drawn any firm conclusions, but there are several reasonable hypotheses.
“It boils down to two causes, control and time,” Marianna Baykina, associate professor of psychology at Wayne State College, said. “I think text messages give people more control over the situation. You can read it and just delete it.”
Nick Haslam, a psychology professor at the University of Melbourne, came to a similar conclusion.
“Texts allow people to take charge of the timing of communication rather than having to do it at another person’s bidding,” Haslam said in an article from The Sydney Morning Herald. “You can craft what you say in a more deliberate way than an on-the-spot call. You can choose when to say it, and you can control the length of the exchange, whereas it’s always possible to get trapped on the other end of the line with a chatterbox.”
History has shown that as new technology becomes integrated into daily life, knowledge of old methods falls to the side, which may help explain why Gen Z seems more likely to be using social media messaging than making phone calls.
“I think people avoid making phone calls because we’re used to text messages,” Baykina said. “I don’t think they are scared; I think they avoid it.”
But their communication habits in their personal lives affect their professional lives too.
“Next time you’ve gone on for a long period without speaking on the phone, you might notice when you do eventually need to, the words don’t flow as easily, or you haven’t been able to get the message you want across,” Vicki Andonopoulos, an associate lecturer in marketing, said in the article from The Sydney Morning Herald. “Just like anything, practice makes perfect, and if you haven’t had a chance to practice phone conversations, chances are you won’t feel so great when you do have to make one.”
For students who struggle with making phone calls or fear their phone discomfort will negatively impact their business lives, there is hope.
Shy students hoping to improve their skills and avoid delaying their career options can make an appointment with career services. “We will work with you on that,” Lungrin said. “We will help prepare you for the conversations so you can feel more confident in having them. If you are a faculty member reading The Wayne Stater, partner with career services to make students reach out to people because it’s good for them. We would love to provide resources that would help students do that.”
