What is Telephobia and how to deal with it?

Smartphones are changing our habits, especially the way we communicate. With the advent of SMS, we are increasingly opting for text messages, relegating voice calls to the background. It’s all the more common to see people who don’t use them at all, citing the fact that it’s easier to respond with a text and that you need some excuse to call. Fortunately, carriers still give huge amounts of minutes for calls. In this article, we’ll explain what is Telephobia and how we can overcome this phobia, and keep on working.

What’s more frustrating is that no one appreciates it and uses it very rarely, preferring text messages. One may be surprised or laugh at this, but the case is serious – it is a mental disorder that is a consequence of progress and the development of technology, new ways of communicating. What is it, how to deal with it?

What is Telephobia?

Telephobia is the fear of making or receiving a phone call. It is one of the modern illnesses, along with nomophobia (the fear of being without a telephone). To a large extent, this disorder has arisen because messengers have replaced real communication for us, resulting in a fear of making or receiving phone calls. Agree, finding out something bad by getting a notification from WhatsApp or our Telegram chat is not as scary as hearing it in person and right now.

After all, on WhatsApp, you can delay your reply by disabling the read report, something you can’t do in a face-to-face conversation. Too bad times have changed: we now only keep a negative scenario in our minds, excluding the fact that we might be getting a good call. Fear of phone calls is also due to professional deformation: let’s assume that work involves a huge number of calls – in our spare time we simply want a break from them, just like from chatting.

Why are people afraid to talk on the phone?

I have long noticed that among my acquaintances there are many people who categorically avoid talking on the phone. During an incoming call, guys stare at the screen for a long time, think three times, but still wait to reset. You will say that there is nothing wrong with that, you just don’t want to talk and that’s it.

But such people try not to call themselves, we already told you about it in our Yandex.Zen: the maximum they can do is a voice message. Such a telephobia prevents not only from answering any phone call – the fear comes from the expectation of hearing something negative because nowadays people rarely call without a reason. Add to this the fact that a huge proportion of incoming calls are endless spam from operators, shops, clinics and all sorts of surveys. In general, it is possible to understand why you don’t want to pick up the phone, too.

Fear of phone calls can be compared to the fear of public speaking, only, in this case, it’s much easier – you pick up the phone and dial. You won’t be watched by onlookers and you’re allowed to be nervous – no one will see it anyway. But the fear is there.

Those who start working as an operator or, say, a sales manager, go through it: in my experience, I can say that calling unfamiliar people to ask their opinion about the quality of services provided is much scarier than asking them personally – who knows how they will react to a sudden call? He might swear and then give you a dirty look.

How to fight telephobia

This is one of the problems with which you need to fight only with your own efforts. But nothing is impossible – phone calls are still an integral part of our lives, we’ll get rid of them soon.

Identify for yourself exactly what scares you when you try to call someone.

Be aware of the damage you’ll do if the tone of the call is negative: it’s okay to be rude – alas, it happens

If you know the person, try to act as you would normally do when meeting them in person

For business conversations do not be afraid to use scripts – yes, they sometimes work and are very helpful in unforeseen situations

Have a piece of paper and pencil handy – scribbling or doodling is very useful when you’re feeling nervous – all the stress stays on the paper

Don’t be afraid to mute your microphone during a conversation to respond to negative reactions

Try to talk when you are not distracted by anything. Eating while you’re talking or simply drinking coffee is not only inappropriate but also uncomfortable.

Why calling is better than writing.

Say you’re ready to hit “send” on your messenger. Think about it: There’s nothing wrong with talking in person if the situation allows. From the outside, your text may seem serious, serious, perhaps even threatening. Imagine the tone with which your recipient will read it. First, it can take a long time before a reply is received. Secondly, text messages are impersonal – even a simple ‘hello’ without an emoji can look creepy.

It all depends on how you communicate in person. Plus, even a phone call without an emoji can not only help you resolve an issue more quickly but also help you have an interesting time.

With the advancement of technology, phobias have arrived: telephobia is an unpleasant thing, but it can be dealt with. There’s nothing wrong with making phone calls. Just stop thinking it’s exotic in 2021. Don’t be afraid to call – hearing from a loved one is always more pleasant than receiving a faceless text on a messenger.