‘I can hear their breathing’: Why Gen Z doesn’t say ‘hello’ when answering the phone
There’s an explanation behind the perceived lack of phone etiquette.
Eve Upton-Clark
When answering
the phone, do you lead with a “hello” or “[insert name] speaking”? Or
do you simply pick up, breathe into the receiver, and hope the other
person says something?
Well,
the latter might be common among the workforce’s youngest members, as a
number of recruiters have been pointing out a generational gap in phone
etiquette.
“I just found out that Gen Z don’t answer the phone when they answer the phone,” one recruiter explained in a recent TikTok post, now with more than 1 million views. “I think it’s so weird, it’s so awkward.”
She is not the first to make this observation. Back in July, an X user’s post on the topic went viral.
a recruiter, so I do a TON of phone interviews and something I’ve
noticed about Gen Z specifically is that a lot of them answer the phone
and don’t say anything,” they posted. “I can hear their breathing and the background noise, but they wait for you to say hello first.”
Of course, there are many things that Gen Zers do that older generations can’t wrap their heads around: The “Gen Z stare”—the
vacant expression a Gen Zer supposedly gives in response to a
question—was one much-discussed example earlier this year. Now it seems
the silent treatment extends to Gen Z’s phone use.
While as a generation they average more than six hours a day on their phone, Gen Zers are typically averse to actually picking it up when it rings. In fact, a 2024 study showed nearly a quarter of the generation doesn’t even bother to answer. The most common reason? Scammers.
As
one commenter on the viral TikTok explained, they refuse to say
anything right off the bat, as bots automatically hang up if they don’t
hear “hello” within the first three seconds of the call. Another added:
“there have been cases where just saying ‘hello’ or your name can lead
to AI copying your voice for hackers, it’s not because we are inept in how to answer a phone.”
Turns out it’s not just a Gen Z thing; in the comments, millennials and Gen Xers also admitted to doing this.
But
that’s not the only reason given. Others in the comments shared their
belief that the responsibility to start the conversation lies with the
person doing the calling. “Isn’t it a universal law that the person
who’s doing the calling should be the one to say hello?” one person
asked. Another wrote: “You called me? Say what you want and I’ll
answer.”
Or, do as I do: Simply watch the phone ring before returning to whatever you were doing.
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