Has Society Actually Come To This?

[Quenched]

I was watching a news feed today on my local tv news, and apparently theres a new phobia of answering telephones by young teenagers. 

 

Yes apparently youngsters of today actually have a fear of answering a telephone. Some we're confessing of breaking into a sweat the minute their phone rings. 

 

Its blamed on youngsters today growing up on a diet of smart phones and various alternatives to communicate other than actually use a phone for what its original intention was to communicate via talking to people. 

 

I'm thinking Oh my God there are real wars going on, what hope would we have to fight in a war, when teenagers today fear answering a telephone?

 

Have we really come to this? 🙄

[Canary42]

Fake news

[vulcan42]

I've also read this recently, apparently they don't like using the phone because they have to reply straight away which they don't like doing. Using other systems give them time to think of an "Approriate" answer.

[vulcan42]

appropriate

[Buenchico]

From 5 months ago:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgklk3p70yo

From time to time we get post here from young people saying "My boyfriend sent me this text and I don't know how to take it" or similar.  There have been countless times when I've reminded such people that the device that they're using is called a smartphone because they can make phone calls with it, which produce a much easier way of conducting relationships than sending texts!

[Quenched]

But to actually have a phobia of answering a phone call? Has life come to this?

 

[237SJ]

I hated answering the phone when I lived at home as a teenager. It was the fact that I didn't know who was calling that made me uncomfortable. It was only when I went to work in an office aged 19 that I got over that as I had no choice. It's not new.

[Khandro]

This shows that young people are waking up to simple facts. At one time people when asked a weighty question might say, "I'll sleep on it, and answer you tomorrow" whereas the phone seems to demand an instant response. 

I've always hated telephones and preferred (long gone) letters, and now the preferable modern alternative, emails. 

[Cloverjo]

I have a few teenagers in my extended family, and they are perfectly happy to answer the phone and to talk. 
 

The media seem to lump everyone into a box. 

[roopower]

I'm 73 and have never liked making or answering phone calls. I like to see someone I'm talking to and if I can't do that I'd rather write,text or email. 

[Peter Pedant]

I hated answering the phone when I lived at home as a teenage

from an early age we were taught to say " Beaminster225"

Nowadays if you answer - good moaning Peter Pedant speaking - - theother side ( civil service etc) Must give you their name if you ask for it. 

which I use every  day... ( I get a lorra lorra offical calls)

[brainiac]

I feel about the telephone the way Dorothy Parker felt about visitors: she said that every time the doorbell rings she thinks "What fresh Hell is this?"

[barry1010]

I've never liked using the phone either, probably because I didn't have a home phone until I was in my 20s.  I use a phone to make arrangements, not chat to friends and family.

[Quenched]

Khandro, 

I've never had an issue with answering a telephone, and I struggle to relate to anyone having a phobia surrounding it. 

 

Normally in the old days, it was only family calling anyway, we didn't suffer scammers, or spam calls in those days like we do these days. 

[Canary42]

I grew up with a phone in the house in the Fifties, which was much less common then, but my parents ran a seaside guest house so it was essential.  Our neighbour's sister who lived a long way away would occasionally ring them on our number (we had said it was OK) but both the neighbours regarded answering with something approaching terror (I saw it at first hand as I was usually the one who would be sent next door to summon them😄)