Gen Zers are very suspicious about phone calls, especially those from unknown landlines.
It comes as new research found one-quarter of people aged 18 to 25 refuse to pick up their phone.
The study by Sky Mobile in the UK revealed almost one-third of Gen Z will rarely make a phone call, with one-fifth finding it weird when they receive one.
Of those surveyed, 36% admit they would only make a call to locate their friends on a night out, and 19% would only make a voice call in an emergency.
The younger generation dislike picking up the phone so much that over half even blank calls from their parents.
Gen Z Newstalk reporter Alex Rowley told The Hard Shoulder he thinks it's about being savvy.
"I used to be fairly not bad for it, but before I started working in media if there was an unknown number there's absolutely no way I was touching the phone," he said.
"I think people my age are really savvy about scams; if I didn't have someone's number, I was always real suspicious about, 'Sure who'd be ringing me now?'
"Nowadays it's often a number that looks very like mine - an 083, 087 or 085 number.
"A few years ago if a landline from Dublin or Galway tried to ring me, I'd be very suspicious."
Teenager using a mobile phone on October 5th, 2015. Image: David Burton / Alamy Stock PhotoAlex said his outlook changed when he got his job.
"If I hadn't have answered the phone I mightn't have got that opportunity or this opportunity here," he said.
"Now I answer every phone call regardless of whether it might be a scam or not."
UCC student Eimear Neville said she does answer, but only if she's expecting a call.
"Our generation is a lot more cautious with our use of technology," she said.
"We are more aware of the kind of stuff that goes on online, and the ways that we can be protecting ourselves.
"A lot of the time it is, 'Don't answer phone calls that you don't know'.
"If a phone number rings me and I don't know who it is I'm not going to answer.
"The same way that if I get a friend request on Facebook, and I don't know who they are, I'm not going to accept it."
'Other forms of communication'
Eimear said if it is something really important, the caller will find another way to contact her.
"If they really need to reach me there are other forms of communication," she said.
"There's email, text messages, DMs on social media - if it is something that's important it will find its way to you.
"So I'm not always worried about missing out on opportunities or anything like that."
A young woman texting with her mobile phone in June 2019. Image: Westend61 GmbH / Alamy Stock PhotoInfluencer Erin Lally has said she thinks it's generational gap.
"Even with my friends half the time they don't want to answer the phone to their parents," she said.
"I think a big part of the reason why as well is because with our generation there was never landlines.
"People are conscious of awkward silences, and not knowing how to end the call and worried they'll interrupt whoever's on the other end.
"I can understand why people would be anxious about it.
"It's better in ways than text because you can get your tone of voice across.
"You're getting the message out there and over and done with, rather than having to wait for people to reply and get back to you.
"In college I would have studied journalism, and it was always drilled into us to pick up the phone.
"You don't always have the time to wait for people to get back [to you].
"I think that's part of the reason why I'd be very quick to pick up the phone regardless," she added.
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Sky Mobile commissioned a poll of 1,000 18 to 24-year-olds and 1,000 parents.
