Life

What It's Like When You Have Phone Anxiety

by Lily Feinn

Aug. 31, 2016

Is ignoring troublesome texts your MO? Have you been known to go to great lengths to avoid taking a phone call? A new video from HelloGiggles understands all too well what it's like when you have phone anxiety, and that even a simple "What's up?" can send a person dealing with this social anxiety disorder into a tailspin. Yes, yes, smartphones are amazing and emojis are cute — but they also make you available all the time. It can get a little overwhelming juggling a bunch of different ongoing conversations, as well as, you know, actual work. For those who just don't want to deal with these constant interactions the struggle is real!

For many of us, the "ping" of a new text or Facebook message appearing on our phone screens gives us a happy little boost. In fact, one 2015 study found that the average person between the ages of 18 and 33 checks their phone 85 times a day. There are plenty of articles out there talking about phone addiction, but not so many that address phone anxiety. For those who suffering with phone phobias, even hearing a ringtone may fill them with unease. People with this form of social anxiety usually dread making phone calls and are uncomfortable with the unpredictable nature of dealing with a stranger on the other end of the line. Oftentimes, they may rehearse exactly what they are going to say before making the call. Receiving texts can produce a similar response, though one can at least plan out what they are going to say before hitting "send."

If you hate texting, I don't blame you. It's not my favorite form of communique either. I mean, who in their right mind would want to deal with all the secret rules (don't text someone too much or too little), unavoidable text remorse ("Ooops! I shouldn't have sent that!"), waiting hours for a response, and those three horrible little dots that appear... then disappear... then appear again. Not to mention that texts and calls are super distracting. Alexander Graham Bell didn't even have a phone in his study because he thought it would be too distracting. Man, it would be so much easier if we could all go back to writing letters.

Here are the four stages of responding to a text when you have phone anxiety: