Feeling your heart beat while waiting for someone to pick up, fearing the ‘blanks’ during a call, letting your phone ring while a friend calls you. Telephone conversations can cause severe anxiety. For what?
“Generation Z, born in the 2000s, has more discomfort and sometimes even a form of anxiety when dealing with these impromptu phone calls,” explains Patrick Amey, lecturer at the University of Geneva, in Point J. , within the Institute of Communication and Digital Cultures.
Thus, a Swiss study reveals that 10% of 12-19 year olds never use the calling function of their smartphone. This fear is explained in particular by the absence of the face of the interlocutor. “What is missing on the telephone is the face of the other which completes the message. Just the voice, it is always an interpretative work”, underlines the expert.
Oral, face-to-face or telephone communication is fraught with danger!
Furthermore, younger generations are used to asynchronous communication. “This consists of producing a delay between the time of transmission and reception of the message, it is this small moment which allows you to reread your email, to think about the audio on WhatsApp”, specifies the expert.
This gap is a form of taking power, of control, over one’s communication, whereas oral communication supposes unforeseen events, a form of negotiation, emotions which invade us. To overcome this anxiety, the expert recommends playing down the drama: “Stuttering is not serious. Searching for your words is not a crime. You have to get rid of the idea of constantly being judged by others “.
Why is the phone call seen as an intrusion? Why does telephone conversation not allow for ideal emotion management?
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Juliane Roncoroni and the Point J team
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