Teens No Longer Answer The Phone

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

Teenagers can seem to have their phones glued to their hands – yet they won’t answer them when they ring. This scenario, which is all too familiar to many parents, can seem absurd and frustrating, or even alarming to some. Yet it also speaks volumes about the way 13-to-18-year-olds now connect (or fail to connect) with others. If smartphones are ever-present in the daily lives of adolescents, this does not mean they are using their devices in the same way adults do.

This reluctance to “pick up the phone” isn’t just a generational trait: it signals a deeper transformation in communication practices, social norms, and digital etiquette.

For teenagers, voice calls are no longer the default mode of communication. Instead, they are becoming the exception, used in very specific contexts, like emergency situations, moments of distress, or when immediate comfort is required. In all other cases, texting is the preferred option. The reason isn’t laziness: written communication – text messages, voice notes, or DMs on Snapchat and Instagram – offers a completely different relationship to time, emotions, and self-control.

Picking up the phone means being available here and now, with no safety net, and no delay. For many teenagers, this immediacy is perceived as stressful, a loss of control.

Written communication, by contrast, allows for greater control, offering options like drafting, deleting and rewriting, postponing, and smoothing things over. It is easier to communicate effectively when you can first remain silent.

Ironically, phones have become tools to avoid talking. Or more precisely, tools to decide when and how to let the voice in – all in the name of maintaining balance in relationships.

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/teenagers-no-longer-answer-phone/