College student 'A' doesn't answer phone calls. They don't answer calls from unknown numbers, and even if they know the number, they prefer to send a text or message instead. In Korea, this behavior, shared by many young people, has given rise to the term "Call phobia."

A recent survey conducted by the job search portal "Alba Heaven" among 1,496 members of the MZ generation revealed that 35.6% of respondents experience symptoms of call phobia, a 5.7% increase from the previous year's survey.

Notably, call phobia is more prevalent among females, with 45.7% of female respondents reporting it, compared to 20.9% of males. A significant 75.9% of females prefer text-based communication over phone calls.

People with call phobia are anxious about both receiving and making phone calls. They find it easier to send text messages even when they have to communicate with others. The discomfort with phone calls has become a widespread issue, with even celebrities like IU mentioning their struggles with it.

In an episode of 'IU's Palette' that aired back in April, IU revealed that she finds it uncomfortable to have phone calls. She explained, "I find it difficult to have a long phone call in one sitting. Even when I have a call with my mom, I become uncomfortable when a phone call comes."

According to the survey, the most significant challenge in phone calls is the pressure to respond immediately without time to properly gather their thoughts (60.0%). Other concerns include the inability to express thoughts adequately (55.9%), a preference for non-face-to-face communication like texting (51.6%), difficulty in understanding the other person (29.5%), and anxiety when there's silence (24.2%).

Those with call phobia often experience physical symptoms like high anxiety and increased heart rate when receiving phone calls. More than half of them try to delay or avoid answering phone calls.

Approximately 40% of those with call phobia do not answer calls from unknown numbers. To cope with call phobia, some minimize phone calls and rely on email and text messaging (28.8%), while others prepare a written script before making a call (28.4%).

Call phobia is not unique to South Korea; it's becoming a global issue. An August report from American media outlet CBS NEWS stated that 90% of Gen Z in the United States have concerns about phone calls.

Experts suggest that call phobia is not a psychiatric issue and doesn't require treatment. To overcome it, they recommend starting with short conversations to ask about each other's well-being and gradually increasing the time spent talking on the phone with someone you feel comfortable talking with.

In an online community, many Korean netizens agreed they have difficulties answering phone calls, and they commented, "Phone conversations can lead to verbal mistakes, but with texts, you don't have to reply immediately, and you can take your time to think and respond. I feel more comfortable with text messages," "It seems like people are not evolving but rather gradually regressing," "I am more comfortable with phone calls, I guess I'm an old person," "I think texting is better. You can get right to the point," "I'm in my 40s but I think texting is easier too," "I don't like phone calls or texting," "I don't answer unknown calls because I receive too many spam or insurance-related calls," "I think texts can be misinterpreted though," and "I hate phone calls, I get anxious even hearing the ringtone so I keep it silent."