Fear of Phone Calls

The telephone has long become an everyday part of life, yet one of the paradoxes of the 21st century is that the more accessible communication becomes, the more people feel anxious about making or answering a simple phone call. Telephobia, a persistent fear or discomfort related to calling or answering the phone, is now widespread around the world, especially among younger generations. This condition is considered a form of social anxiety and can significantly affect everyday life.

Phone anxiety did not emerge with smartphones. As early as the 1980s, researchers noticed that many office workers experienced stress before calling clients. However, it was only in the 1990s that a specific term appeared to describe fear not only of work-related calls but of phone conversations in general. The first major study was conducted in the United Kingdom in 1993 and showed that millions of people avoided phone calls altogether.

More recent data suggest that the majority of young employees in British offices feel anxious when they hear a phone ringing. Millennials and Gen Z experience this far more often than older generations. For many, the very idea of a phone conversation causes discomfort, regardless of who is calling: a colleague, an unknown number, or even a family member.

The reasons behind this fear are varied. Many people worry about sounding awkward, saying the wrong thing, wasting the other person’s time, or hearing irritation in response. Some dislike the sound of their own voice. Others are stressed by the lack of preparation time, since messages can be edited or carefully thought through, while phone calls require immediate reactions. For some, communication without visual cues such as facial expressions and gestures feels confusing and unpredictable.

There are also social factors involved. For example, in countries like Russia, many people avoid answering calls from unknown numbers due to fear of scammers. This further reinforces negative attitudes toward phone communication in general.

Despite how common telephobia has become, it can be overcome. One of the most effective approaches is gradual exposure to the feared situation. People are encouraged to start with simple tasks, such as calling a café to ask about opening hours, then slowly move on to calling acquaintances. Over time, anxiety decreases and phone conversations stop feeling threatening.

Telephobia has become a symbol of an era in which people are comfortable with texting but less accustomed to voice communication. Still, fear of phone calls is not a life sentence. It can be worked through, and expanding one’s comfort zone helps restore ease and confidence where anxiety once replaced ordinary conversation.