The phone isn’t dead-we killed it. In a world where lives are broadcast in real time and conversations unfold across screens, the simple ring of a phone has become one of the most dreaded sounds of modern communication. Gen Z isn’t dodging calls out of apathy or rudeness; they are reacting to a psychological overload that earlier generations never had to navigate.

In an era of relentless hyperconnectivity, it is deeply ironic that the most basic mobile interaction now provokes unease. For many young people, a ringing phone no longer signals connection but apprehension, cognitive strain and, increasingly, telephobia. What appears to be a casual preference for texting is actually a complex psychological and cultural recalibration. For digital natives, a phone call feels less like a courtesy and more like an unsolicited intrusion. Messaging platforms offer the comfort of control-time........

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