Call me maybe (not): a quarter of young people never answer the phone
A quarter (23%) of 18 to 34-year-olds say they NEVER pick-up calls[1], with over half (56%) assuming an ‘out of the blue’ call means bad news[2]
Social media (48%)[3] and voice messages (37%)[4] are preferred by young people - yet half (53%) would be offended if their friend or family didn’t phone them to announce happy news such as an engagement or a new baby[5]
Avoiding scam calls is the most common reason for not answering the phone[6] But news is worth sharing as six in ten (64%) women consider a ‘general chat’ worth a phone call in comparison to 53% of men[7]
Overall, we now spend an average of just five and a half minutes on the phone every day[8]
Uswitch mobile experts offer advice on how to avoid unwanted calls - and comedian Freya Mallard shares exclusively how she plans to announce her new baby’s arrival on social media
The UK’s phone habits are changing, with one in four (23%) of those aged 18-34 now never answering their phone when they receive voice or audio calls[1], according to new research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
‘Just @ me’: young people assume an out of the blue call means ‘bad news’
Growing up in the social media age has led the younger generation to move away from voice calls to other ways of communicating with friends and family - increasingly choosing to communicate via social media (48%)[3] and voice messages (37%)[4] over traditional phone calls.
This compares to just 11% of those aged 55+ who’d choose social media[3], or 1% of 35 to 54-year-olds who prefer a voice message[4] over a traditional phone call. Though, one in ten (9%) of 35 to 54-year-olds say they do also - much like the younger generation - still ignore phone calls[1].
The younger generation also prefers text and instant messaging to traditional phone calls. Almost two-thirds (61%) of 18 to 34-year-olds prefer to receive a message rather than an audio call[9], contributing to over 1.3 trillion online messages and 36 billion text messages exchanged between 2012 and 2022[10].
This generation will still speak on the phone however, but prefer pre-arranged calls (68%)[11] - assuming an out of the blue call means bad news (56%)[2].
Comedian Freya Mallard, aged 26 from Haringey, says, “I would never pick up a phone call unless I’m expecting it – I just couldn’t be sure of what to expect unless we pre-arrange a time to speak on the phone, and my friends are the same.
“We just don’t do spontaneous phone calls anymore – I prefer a voice note, there’s much less pressure that way. My mum, on the other hand, loves an out of the blue phone call, no matter how I feel about it!”
Death of the phone call?
When asked why they don’t answer an incoming call, the number one reason for Brits was concern over spam or scam callers. On average, almost two thirds (63%)[6] admitted nuisance calls made them likely to avoid answering the phone. The over 55s are the most concerned about scam calls, with three quarters (74%)[6] confessing this was their top reason for avoiding calls.
The second most popular reason for not answering the phone was ‘wanting to find out who the person is first’, with half of Brits (50%)[12] giving this as a reason - showing just how wary we now are of unfamiliar callers.
Busy lifestyles have also curtailed phone calls, with ‘being busy’ (24%) and not wanting to be interrupted (23%) the third and fourth most popular reasons for not picking up a call[12].
These reasons have led to Brits spending, on average, just five and a half minutes on the phone a day[8].
Hello? Hello? Good news is worth sharing
Even with a preference for fewer phone calls, Brits aren’t letting every single call they get go unanswered. When asked what was ‘worthy’ of a phone call, over half of Brits (59%) said they’re still happy to have a ‘general chat’. Women are more likely to consider this worth a call (64%) versus just over half of men (53%) saying the same[7].
Brits also want to call when there is good news to share - and actually would be upset if positive updates weren’t shared with a phone call. Almost half of Brits (46%) say they would be offended if their friend or family didn’t phone them to announce happy news, such as an engagement, a promotion or a new baby[5].
Freya Mallard is currently expecting a baby and plans to announce the news of the birth on social media, rather than calling friends and family. She comments, “When my little one arrives, I’m planning to announce the news on social media with a picture – I think it’s the best way to let everyone know and introduce the baby at the same time, without having to think about who I want to tell first and figure out what to actually say if I were to call them.”
But we call during the tough times too. Supporting friends and family through difficult life events were the next two top reasons for making a phone call, specifically informing someone of a death (57%) and ‘showing support’ when someone is going through a hard time (56%), showing when times are hard Brits will still pick up the phone.[13]
Simrat Sharma, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “In an age of social media, voice notes and instant messages, it turns out the old-fashioned phone call isn’t quite dead - as long as you pre-arrange a time to speak in advance.
“It’s great to see that calling for a chat is still our biggest reason for picking up the phone in 2024, and we still really value personal calls to share big life moments.
“Gen Z and younger millennials increasingly prefer ‘low pressure’ voice notes, which still offer a personal connection but signal there is less urgency to respond.
“It’s clear that scam and nuisance calls are a huge concern for many of us - and it’s a smart tactic to ignore unknown calls. All mobile providers have an automatic voicemail service - so genuine callers can leave a message for you to call back.
“Whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone, you can also easily block numbers that are repeatedly calling through the settings on your call log.
“If you’re getting lots of telemarketing calls, you should also register your phone number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) online. However, firms may still call you if you've previously given them permission to contact you by phone - so we’d also recommend contacting companies in writing and ask them not to call you for marketing purposes.
“Scammers have also become hugely sophisticated in recent years and often use ‘false emergencies’ to trick you into sharing personal information. Remember if the call is genuine, they shouldn’t mind if you hang up and call back using an official number.”
For more information on how to avoid nuisance calls, check out our guide on Uswitch.com
Chris Thomas
PR Contractor
v-chris.thomas@rvu.co.uk
Notes to editors
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from 9 April 2024 – 12 April 2024.
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? I never answer my phone when I get voice / audio calls”. 23% of 18-34 year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”. 9% of 35-44 year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”. 8% of 55+ year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”.
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? If I got an out of the blue call from friends or family, I would assume they were calling with bad news”. 43% of respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”. 56% of 18-34 year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”.
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? I prefer to communicate via social media (e.g. direct/private message/posting on social media platforms like Instagram”. 48% of 18-34 year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”. 11% of 55+ year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”.
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? I prefer to receive voice message recordings rather than a call”. 37% of 18-24 year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”. 1% of 35-54 year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”.
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? I would be offended if my friends or family didn’t call me on the phone to announce happy or important news such as an engagement or birth of a baby”. 46% of respondents selected “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree”. 53% of 18-34 year old respondents selected “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree”.
Respondents were asked “You mentioned you are likely to ignore an incoming phone call. What are the main reasons for this?”. 63% of respondents selected “worries around spam or scam callers”. 74% of 55+ year old respondents selected “worries around spam or scam callers”. 53% of 18-34 year old respondents selected “worries around spam or scam callers”.
Respondents were asked “Which of the following scenarios or life events do you consider it to be ‘worthy’ of making an outbound phone call for? Please select all that apply”. 59% of respondents selected “for a general chat”. 64% of female respondents selected “for a general chat”. 53% of male respondents selected “for a general chat”.
Respondents were asked “How many minutes do you spend on each of the following types of mobile call within an average week? Please only consider calls made via your mobile phone for either personal or business reasons.” The average was 39 minutes. 39 divided by 7 = 5.57 minutes.
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? I would always prefer to receive a message (either SMS or application) rather than a voice / audio call”. 61% of 18 to 34 year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”.
1.3 trillion online messages sent against 36 billion text message: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2023/whatsappening-in-the-world-of-online-communications
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? I prefer to speak on the phone with friends and family if they pre-arrange a time to call”. 68% of 18-34 year old respondents selected “agree” and “strongly agree”.
Respondents were asked “You mentioned you are likely to ignore an incoming phone call. What are the main reasons for this?”. 50% of respondents selected “want to find out who they are first”, 24% selected “being busy”, 23% selected “not wanting to be interrupted”.
Respondents were asked “Which of the following scenarios or life events do you consider it to be ‘worthy’ of making an outbound phone call for? Please select all that apply”. 57% selected “to inform someone of a death”, 56% selected “to show support when someone is going through a hard”.
Respondents were asked “Which of the following scenarios or life events do you consider it to be ‘worthy’ of making an outbound phone call for? Please select all that apply”. 59% of respondents selected “for a general chat” (53% male, 64% female), 57% selected “to inform someone of a death” (55% male, 57% female), 56% selected “to show support when someone is going through a hard time” (55% male, 59% female), 54% selected “to wish someone a Happy Birthday” (50% male, 62% female), 53% selected “When you’re running late” (51% male, 54% female), 52% selected “to make a booking e.g. restaurant, hotel, taxi etc” (51% male, 52% female), 44% selected “to announce positive news e.g. an engagement, birth of a baby, promotion” (41% male, 47% female), 43% selected “to call in sick to work” (42% male, 45% female), 40% selected “when trying to find someone and you are lost” (37% male, 42% female) and 40% selected “to share a negative health update (e.g. having to go into hospital)” (38% male, 41% female).
About Uswitch
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More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
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