"Phone Call Anxiety" Do You Know 'Call Phobia,' a Concern Among People in Their 20s? [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

Increase in 'Call Phobia' Symptoms Avoiding Phone Calls
"Feeling Burdened by Calls," 1 in 2 Adults Experience 'Call Phobia'
Experts Warn "Persistent 'Call Phobia' Symptoms May Raise Anxiety Levels"

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # College student Kim Mo (24) talks on the phone for less than an hour a month. He said, "My heart pounds and I get nervous when the phone rings," adding, "I feel more comfortable communicating through messengers than by phone." He continued, "Even with close friends, it's much easier to contact them via messages rather than calls," and said, "unless it's urgent, I usually communicate through text messages."

Recently, cases of 'call phobia' have been reported mainly among young people. Call phobia is a compound word combining 'call' and 'phobia,' referring to an excessive nervousness or discomfort when talking on the phone with someone.

Especially among the millennial generation (born in the 1980s to 2000s), who are familiar with mobile phones and the internet, not only do they find phone calls awkward, but some even avoid them. They tend to prefer non-face-to-face communication methods such as text messages, mobile messengers, and emails over phone calls. Experts emphasize the need to distance oneself from digital devices like mobile phones or computers to overcome call phobia.

According to a survey, the incidence of call phobia is continuously increasing. JobKorea surveyed 518 adult men and women last month, and 53.1% of respondents said they suffer from 'call phobia.' This is a 6.6 percentage point increase compared to last year's survey result (46.5%). In other words, one out of every two adults is struggling with phone call anxiety.

The main reasons for experiencing call phobia (multiple responses allowed) were ▲ being more accustomed to non-face-to-face communication such as messenger apps/texts than phone calls (58.2%) ▲ fear of making verbal mistakes during calls without realizing it (35.3%) ▲ poor speaking skills (30.5%) ▲ trauma from work-related calls or calls with superiors causing fear (22.5%), among others.

College student Kim Mo (24) also complained about stress caused by phone calls. He said, "When the phone rings, I deliberately don't answer and ask about the matter via messenger or text 30 minutes later," adding, "I worry that I might make a verbal mistake during the call. Even after the call, I keep thinking about whether I said something wrong."

He added, "I think I get flustered when a call suddenly comes in after only exchanging messages on messenger," and "Also, phone calls require immediate responses, so the pressure is greater."

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As a result, some people even write down what they want to say before making a call and rehearse it. Office worker Lee Mo (25) said, "Due to the nature of my job, I often have to make calls to clients," and added, "In such cases, I always write down what I want to say in advance. That way, I can avoid getting flustered and speak properly."

In particular, some young people go beyond call phobia and suffer from so-called 'talk phobia' (talk phobia, fear of conversation), which is an aversion to talking with others. They feel uncomfortable not only when encountering store clerks but also find conversations with employees stressful.

College student Lee Mo (23) said, "When a clerk talks to me at a cosmetics store, I just buy what I need and leave quickly," and confessed, "I want to browse more comfortably, but when others talk to me, I feel so uncomfortable that I tend to avoid it."

Experts emphasize that overcoming call phobia should start with phone calls to close acquaintances or others who are relatively less stressful.

Professor Lee Dong-gwi of Yonsei University's Department of Psychology pointed out on YTN's 'Thinking Lab,' "If call phobia persists, anxiety symptoms may increase," and warned, "Social phobia can spread to other daily activities or tasks beyond just phone calls."

He added, "If you talk face-to-face or keep making phone calls with close family or acquaintances who provide psychological stability, the awkwardness disappears and you can build immunity. Digital detox is also helpful. Even just turning off your mobile phone and computer for one hour a day and instead meeting or calling someone close can be beneficial," he explained.