Student to Student: The Terrors of Telephobia

University of Massachusetts Amherst ^ | 10/24/25 | Ewode Meggison

[DallasBiff]

When I was a kid way back ago my brothers and sisters would race to answer the phone, caller-id introduced in the early 80's stopped all that.

Texting began the telephobia, I hate texting.

That said if I get a call that says scam I don't answer.

Have fun it's friday.

[Leaning Right]

My telephobia is entirely due to me watching this unsettling skit when I was younger. I wonder if it’s not too late to file a lawsuit.

[Lizavetta]

Generations past must be laughing, or crying, at how pathetic this generation is ... anxiety about answering the phone.

How low have we sunk?

[libertylover]

talking on the phone can become highly anxiety-inducing.

Poor weedle snowflakes.

[dfwgator]

I always dread calling people on the phone, at least when you text, you know you’re not forcing them to stop what they are doing.

[dfwgator]

Dr. Johnny Fever did it for me.

Johnny: [after hearing the sirens] It's the phone cops. They know what I did here today.

Venus: What are you talking about?

Johnny: They're coming to get me, man!

Venus: That's paranoia, man!

Johnny: Wake up, sucker, this is the phone company we're talking about! They see everything, they know everything, they got their own covert police force! I'm probably wired for sound right now! I gotta get out of here!

Venus: Johnny!

Johnny: Don't use my name!!

[lee martell]

Almost every adult I know, who is 45 or younger, is bad at answering phone calls or responding to texts.
I don’t know what it is. They don’t even seem to feel guilty about ignoring messages.

[glennaro]

Oh, I answer each one of the 6 or 7 robocalls I receive each day ... and I play one of several “special recordings” I have collected over the years when they come on the line. Depending on how many times they’ve called or at what time they call (some as early as 5 or 6 a.m.), they may be treated to one of my “special recordings.” (An ol’ man’s gotta have a little fun, ya know!) Cheers!

[Angelino97]

This is an actual movie, released in 1980.

[tiki]

I’ll admit to having a phone phobia and I usually blame it on the night my brother died.

All my friends know not to call me unless it’s very important and I will always answer their calls but a lot of them will actually text me and ask if it’s okay for them to call.

When I was a teenager back in the dark ages I wouldn’t answer the phone unless I had to and unlike my brothers and sister I never chatted for hours with my friends or boyfriends.

Back in the day when long distance phone calls were special and expensive my parents would make calls to far away relatives, the whole family would be there and they would make you have your turn to Speak and I would ask if I had to and I would ask them to just tell them that I said hello.

[CodeToad]

I was thinking that skit!: “One ringy-dingy! Two Ringy...”

[dfwgator]

Yep, I was like “If you don’t here from me, I’m fine!”

[dfwgator]

Uggh, that’s “If you don’t hear from me, I’m fine!”

[TangoLimaSierra]

I did the same with a fax machine answer .wav file.
Guess their computer dialer would take the number off their list.
Cut the 800 calls way back.

[Olog-hai]

Another misnomer, like “homophobia” (literally “fear of the same”); this one means “fear of covering distances”.

[Fiji Hill]

Shouldn’t the term be something like “telephone phobia”? “Tele” in Greek means distant or far away, so “Telephobia” would mean fear of distance.

[OwenKellogg]

I have telephobia. Do not call me, please. When the phone rings I freeze. Previous "partner" terrorized me with repeated calls and voicemails, after torching everything. You know who you are. I struggle to forgive.

[dfwgator]

LOL, like Shery Crow put it:

Hello it’s me, I’m not at home
If you’d like to reach me, leave me alone

[piasa]

I had telephobia long before texting was invented. Always have hated making phone calls but can’t think of any reason for it, save perhaps one disgusting, vile prank caller when I was a kid.

[Larry Lucido]

At least when you’re on a phone call, you can yell “Chinese food!” in a Chinese accent and say “Gotta go, my Chinese food is here!”

Doesn’t work as well if they know you’re in a car driving.