Gen Z may have been pretty much born with a phone in their hands but there's one thing more and more of them are developing a fear of, and that's phone calls.
Yes, a simple phone call is enough to strike fear into the hearts of Gen Z.
While millennials and older are more than used to picking up the phone for a quick catch up, having been born in the time of landlines being the norm, this hasn't translated down to the younger generations.
According to research, Gen Z is developing "phone phobia", which is associated to social anxiety.
Picking up the phone and dialing may seem like a simple enough task, but for many, it comes with a sense of dread and impending failure.
Despite having a smartphone in their hand almost every minute of the day, many of Gen Z would rather leave a call to ring out than to pick it up, preferring to use texting and other apps such as Snapchat to communicate.
According to News.com.au, much of this stems from the fact they're then able to proof read their messages and keep track of their conversations - and hey, it's always good to have receipts, right?
Texting also means that they are able to think through their responses and gets rid of any awkward silences, as well as being quicker and more convenient while multi-tasking, without having to stop everything they're doing to answer a call.
One Gen Z-er told the outlet: "If I had to make a phone call I would freak out. When I do make a call, I usually sit down and write potential responses to what I think they’ll say to me, just so I am prepared."
In fact, the thought of making calls brought so much anxiety to one 21-year-old that they would even burst into tears, as Erin McGovern explained to the outlet: "If I am tasked with calling someone important, the prospect might bring me to tears.
"The sense of fear of failure contributes to my heightened sense of stress associated with phone calls."
She added that she would prepare responses to what the other person may say if she has to speak to someone on the phone, but said that if the call deviated from the script she'd planned out, her response would usually "become awkward".
Other Gen Z-ers said that they would probably avoid interactions where they'd be forced to make a phone call altogether, while others worried that they'd miss some of the important information on the phone as opposed to receiving it written down in a text.
Some worried that they'd be "judged" by the person on the other end of the line, especially if it was someone they didn't know.
One added: "If I receive a phone call I am very scared. I am hesitant and skeptical. Phone calls make me worried and concerned."
Caitlin Mitchell, 21, added: "It’s awkward and stresses me out and I really don’t know why. I’ll just avoid them at all costs. If I had to make a phone call I’d probably be annoyed and I’d try to get it over with."
Some also pointed out that texting is more private than speaking out loud on the phone, while others described calls as a "lot of effort".
According to experts, the reason for these struggles with phone anxiety is partially down to children getting smartphones earlier in life and never developing proper phone skills.
Mary Jane Copps, also known as The Phone Lady, told CBS News: "It turns out that taking on the phone is a skill and, for decades, we didn't recognize that, because we all did it."
She believes things may continue to get worse, adding: "In terms of the anxiety, I do see that increasing."
Mary Jane also shared some tips for people to get better at phone conversations, explaining: "Cut out pictures from a magazine of a smiling man and woman and look at that while you're on the phone, so you feel more comfortable with how the other person is receiving your conversation."
That does make total sense, however, we're still only picking up that phone as an absolute last resort.
