Millennial Phone Aversion

[greytowhite]

I'll preface this by stating that I am an elder member of the Millennial generation. I'll be 34 in a few months and I keep seeing that many of my cohort are averse to all phone interaction. I got a job recently where I have to make outbound calls to verify people's identity. It was a bloody difficult test to complete but that question was kind of odd to me. Yeah, I'm just doing my job right? These people are aware they're getting a call? Great. There are some of my friends close to my age who are more direct in communication that prefer calls over texts - it's rare though as I can only think of two and both are males whose friends pester them constantly via texts and messages. I've head and seen different explanations from consideration of someone else's time as a phone call can be intrusive, to not having emotional energy to call, and then just plain phobia. I find prefer calls because I get tone of voice with my friend and can tell more easily if they're being sarcastic.

[roger hao]

Or .....as you left out

the new talk thru messaging.
My wife leaves a voice message and then her friends listen to it and respond.
Back and forth
They do it constantly.

[everything]

I'm Gen X and used to talk on the phone a lot, so I don't really have an aversion (other than to telemarketers). But I don't think I could do cold call sales.

Still, I worked with a bunch of millenials and heard them say various times "I don't want to talk to anyone ... this should be on website" or something like that. They were totally great on video/conference calls with clients, however. No lack of communication skills there.

[DeusTrismegistus]

Same age here. When I first started working in the office I had to call in orders all the time and I did have some aversion to it. With how much can be done easily with phones or computers the concept of talking to people is being more relegated to face to face interaction and I think this makes people nervous, especially calling someone they don't know. I prefer calls with friends most times but if something can be easily texted then I prefer that, especially if it is something I would otherwise need to write down.

[origami_itto]

I'm 42, baby gen x, and I hate the phone. I call my dad and my son to actually talk occasionally, and my wife when I have to coordinate something and one of us is driving. Otherwise fucking text me I'll get back to you