Is Talking on the Phone Dead for Gen Z? Not Quite
I'll tell you how old I am without telling you how old I am: When I was a teenager, you had to call someone if you wanted to talk to them. We didn't yet have texting, voice notes, or video chats. Fast forward (muffled) years later, and my kids have any number of options when it comes to communicating with friends and family.
Talking on the phone is usually last on many teens' list of preferred methods. As my 14-year-old told me, calling someone is 'awkward.' She's not alone: one study from Australia found awkward phone calls are one of the top three things 42% of Gen Z wants to avoid. Instead, my teen relies on video chats or voice notes to stay in (constant) touch.
Traditional phone calls may not be the cool thing to do these days, but talking is actually on the rise, according to a new report from Snapchat, a social media platform the Pew Research Center found 60% of teens use.
'It's a misconception that the phone call is dead," says Ceci Mourkogiannis, VP of Product at Snap Inc. Teens are just changing what talking on the phone looks like—and there are benefits to that too.
The Snapchat report, released in June 2025, says it's actually a myth that young people aren't talking on the phone. According to the data:
Snapchatters, made up of Gen Z and Millennials, collectively talk for more than 1.7 billion minutes on average every day. That's 30% more than this time last year.
Voice notes are a very popular way for young people to communicate. Snapchatters in the U.S. sent over 2.5 billion voice notes in the first three months of 2025 alone. That's over 650 million more voice notes than a year ago!
It's important to note that, according to Snap, the data around talking includes both video and voice chats. Mourkogiannis explains meaningful connection happens when people communicate in the way that feels most natural to them—be that sending a Snap, recording a voice note, or hopping on the phone.
'We're thrilled to see our community is actually talking more than ever before,' she adds.
Meanwhile, Alisha Simpson-Watt, LCSW, BCBA, LBA, the founder of Collaborative ABA Services, LLC, says she has noticed teens gravitating toward video chats and voice notes, and texting going by the wayside.
'For some, it is easier to communicate their thoughts and feelings by speaking,' Simpson-Watt explains. 'Also, voice memos add a layer of personalization to the message because it is like you're having a real-time conversation, except that you can answer when the time is more suitable.'
Plus, video chats and voice notes can offer a stronger sense of connection helping to reduce feelings of loneliness which is on the rise, particularly among younger generations."Voice memos add a layer of personalization to the message because it is like you're having a real-time conversation, except that you can answer when the time is more suitable."Of course, communication is generally regarded as a positive thing. But do our kids stand to lose anything if they aren't engaging in good old-fashioned phone conversations?
Simpson-Watt acknowledges that our modern world necessitates increasing reliance on technology, but points to the possibility that the lack of 'real' interaction may be feeding teens' social anxieties.
'Younger people tend to prefer to talk with people face-to-face on the phone rather than in person,' she says.
Furthermore, Simpson-Watt has noticed that younger people can be more avoidant about making simple phone calls.
'For example, younger kids may be more hesitant to call and make their own doctor appointments, as it is more nerve-wracking since they don't personally know the person they are speaking to,' she elaborates.
Teens excel at sending voice notes, setting up a video chat with multiple people, and ordering just about anything via app. But I can't be alone in wanting my adolescents to still be able to thrive offline in an authentic way, and without breaking into a cold sweat.
According to Simpson-Watt, encouraging kids to incorporate phone and in-person conversations into their lives is key.
'Communicating with others, whether it is on the phone or in real life, is very important even with all the technology we have today, as communication allows us to bond and connect with others more personally,' she advises.
Other benefits of communicating without the help of technology include:
Sharpening listening skills
Picking up social cues that may not come through via text or voice note
Limiting screen time
So, while video calls and voice memos are fun and trendy, encouraging our kids to engage in traditional calls and more in-person socializing as often as possible can go a long way.
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