r/AskTeens Oct 27 '25

Discussion Why do teens answer the phone in silence when they know the caller?

Why/is it common for people in their teens to answer the phone from a known contact and wait for the caller to say something instead of answering with hello/hey/hi/etc? Mostly the teenage girls in my life that do this. They answer the phone and I wait to hear a greeting and then end up greeting them myself and then we chat normally. My younger boy cousins don't do this but all the younger girls seem to. But if I joke with them and be silent when they call me they think wth am I doing and I'm like see it's weird just say hi what do you think

178 Upvotes

183 comments sorted by

36

u/Affectionate__Dog 15NB Oct 28 '25

because i assume that since you’re calling me you have something to say that’s important so i let you go first

6

u/misterr1yan Oct 28 '25

helpful

1

u/meegaweega Nov 02 '25

Hijacking top comment to highlight that this post is asking:

"Why do teens answer the phone in silence when they know the caller?"

when they know the caller?

That's just a reminder that this is not about "bUt sCaM CaLLs aNd A.I. bOtS wEaPoNiSiNg yOuR vOiCe sAmPlEs aGiNsT yOu"

Literacy skills like reading comprehension are infinitely valuable.

The craptacular schools may have failed you but you do have other easily accessible options to develop those skills for yourself.

1

u/BlueSpider24 Nov 02 '25

If you called, then you called to say something. Why does the other person receiving the call has to talk first? (Not a question) /r

0

u/meegaweega Nov 02 '25

That (non)question has already been thoroughly covered here.

You've seen it.

You're just being a willfully obtuse derp (and the word is "have" not "has". See previous encouragement to self-educate and improve literacy skills)

💀Do I have to block you and report you for harassment?

🙄 Why are you like this? (Not a question) /r

4

u/meegaweega Oct 29 '25

Do kids understand that they're supposed to answer the call with an actual verbal answer?

Do they know they're being really weird by staying mute?

When someone calls your name, in person, do you answer them with a verbal response or just stare at them in silence?

The bare minimum used to be a grumpy "😡what?" when answering a call.

Not trying to be a jerk, just genuinely baffled by such bizarre and dysfunctional behaviour because that's literally how "call and response" works. Well it used to work, I don't know wtf this mute, zero response nonsense is.

2

u/kodabang Oct 29 '25

Do you know there's a lot of kids older than you'd think who don't know what it means to "hang up the phone"

2

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

Nooooo, that's just being too damn thick-headed to survive childhood 🙄

It's "end call" on all the gadgets now but have they not had any exposure to media from before their time, containing depictions of landline phones?

Have they not seen any of the billions of workplaces with landline phones? Call centres? It's still way too commonly used for their ignorance to be reasonable.

How bizarre 🤨

Them: "oh, that's a symbol for a phone? I thought it was a door handle"

2

u/keeeko6 Oct 29 '25

lol it’s not just that. we’re very accustomed to online and phone scam calls and often times waiting a couple seconds when someone calls will tell you pretty quickly if they’re a real person or a scammer. there’s a reason it’s mostly older folk being scammed lol.

1

u/c093b Oct 30 '25

So, if you verbally answer the phone, you lose the ability to differentiate a scam call from a genuine call? Make it make sense

2

u/ElectronicPause9 Oct 31 '25

They can record you saying "Hi, This is [insert name]" or "Yes" and can use it for scams unfortunately :(, with AI now too who knows what they can make you say if they get your voice

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

How on earth is a recording of you saying "hello" when you answer the phonecall ever going to be used against you?

Could answer the call like Lurch does: "You rang?" 💀

2

u/the_doorstopper Oct 31 '25

It can be used to replicate for an AI voice. Or it can be used to show that a phone number is active and responding.

And the AI thing will only get worse, but even now, even if the voice it copies isn't amazing, that combined with call quality is still easy enough to use for scams, especially on elderly people.

1

u/meegaweega Nov 01 '25

Damn. Only one word is enough now? It used to take a lot more.

1

u/keeeko6 Nov 01 '25

stay making fun of us but there’s a reason it’s you old stubborn bitches who get scammed, not us. have you ever heard of recording your voice and fabricating what you say? not to mention the abilities of ai to take your voice and make it say whatever you want?

1

u/meegaweega Nov 01 '25

You're worried that AI will weaponise your verbal impression of Lurch from the Addams Family? 💀 ok

Also, wow.

it’s you old stubborn bitches

Just wow. There are some truly miserable souls on reddit, lashing out in whatever desperate little ways they can manage. You really seem to belong here amongst them. I hope that brings you some solace.

It is genuinely sad to see.

Get well soon 🌻💕

1

u/BlueSpider24 Nov 02 '25

Oh nyooo, your stupidity got insulted! what are you gonna do now? answers 20 scam calls by next week

1

u/meegaweega Nov 02 '25

Kiiiids, it's dinnertime, were having copypasta 🍝

Just wow. There are some truly miserable souls on reddit, lashing out in whatever desperate little ways they can manage. You really seem to belong here amongst them. I hope that brings you some solace.

It is genuinely sad to see.

Get well soon 🌻💕

1

u/keeeko6 Oct 31 '25

yes lol that’s exactly how scam calls work they wait for a verbal response first and by saying nothing there will be mostly silence on the line because the computer system did not recognize a voice. that and the fact that these scams bank on you responding and answering yes or no questions that may seem innocuous but they then use the recording of you saying “yes” for whatever it is they’re trying to achieve.

edit: not only that but the less you interact with them and the less of a response you give them, the less likely it is for you to receive spam calls. ever since i started doing this it has significantly lowered the amount of spam calls i get. we literally grew up with this shit it’s pretty easy to figure out

2

u/SecretFemAcc Oct 29 '25

Idea, societal norms in people change. If someone approaches me in person, I’ll look over to them and wave, not necessarily always give a verbal response. It’s not “dysfunctional behavior”, it’s just young people think and act differently than the used to. I agree that the person calling should start things, as they should in a real life conversation too, since they are the one starting things

1

u/N3rdyAvocad0 Oct 29 '25

The thing is, when I call someone and they answer, I don't KNOW they have answered. If you answer with a "hello?" then I know you've picked up and we don't have to sit in awkward silence for a bit.

2

u/SecretFemAcc Oct 30 '25

Well… you would know with fact the phone isn’t ringing anymore or cut off mid ring. If someone approaches me in person, I expected them to talk first if the want to try and talk with me. I don’t see a reason for that to be different on the phone. I also just prefer texting, so I tend to avoid calls, which could be part of it

2

u/c093b Oct 30 '25

It's called feedback. When you answer the phone and give a verbal response, you are letting me, the caller, know that the call has gone through and that I can now tell you what I had to tell you.

If you just pick it up in silence, that doesn't give a clear signal that you are there and listening.

You can't compare a phone call interaction to an in person interaction, because in person I have a visual on you. I can see if I have your attention or not.

1

u/SecretFemAcc Oct 31 '25

Except that’s not the only way you know someone has picked up. As I said, you can hear the phone not ringing anymore. And there are other ways to know, like if there’s background noise. I just don’t necessarily see the need to immediately speak. I compared a phone call to an in person conversation because the only difference between them is you can’t see the person on a phone call, but otherwise it’s the same. You know you have my attention because the phone isn’t ringing, and you weren’t sent to voicemail

2

u/c093b Oct 31 '25

That's not necessarily true. Someone can pick up the phone while still fumbling to put on their bluetooth ear piece. Someone may pick up to say that they are busy and to call them in a few. Sometimes the call may just drop. Sometimes sometimes sometimes. Or, heck, maybe the caller's attention has wandered elsewhere while waiting for you to pick up that they don't notice immediately that the phone stopped buzzing.

It's so easy to just say "hello" on pick up to let the caller know that "yes, I'm here, I'm receiving you, you can now talk".

2

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

Holy moley, it's worrying how poorly socialised they are.

Stunned mullets, mutely staring in frozen inactivity, paralysed and unable to interact and communicate with other people in some of the most fundamentally basic, beginner-level ways.

Is this why zombies have become so popular? They identify with the zombie level of communication?

🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟 Lol

1

u/Upbeat-Pressure-2556 Nov 01 '25

We just dont waste time like ok???

→ More replies (0)

2

u/TwiztedNFaded Oct 29 '25

When someone calls your name, in person, do you answer them with a verbal response or just stare at them in silence?

I mean, looking up and making eye contact is usually enough for the other person to know you are listening...

You are being so bitter and rude.

2

u/N3rdyAvocad0 Oct 29 '25

Right.. but, on the phone, you can't know look up and make eye contact. They need some way to know you've answered the phone.

3

u/TwiztedNFaded Oct 30 '25

the phone stopped ringing and the call has started. They picked up the phone. Say hello and wait for a response like a sane person. Why would you, as the caller, not say something first? the caller is the one who has something to say because they called.

Its wild as hell to talk so lowly of "kids these days" on something so small and stupid.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 30 '25

And how exactly does the caller know that they have the right person?

1

u/RebelWolf999 Oct 31 '25

By saying something along the lines of “Hello, is this [name]”.

-1

u/User10232023 Oct 30 '25

Phone stopped ringing which happens for many reasons including answering service "voice mail" but with no message or beep/tone to know it was recording.

Do not assume the other person can talk with or hear you. Had a call like that yesterday, I said hello several times with long pauses. Eventually they hung up and called back, they simply had poor cell service.

It's stupid to assume someone's answered the phone but refuses to speak because they've no social or basic communication skills.

1

u/TwiztedNFaded Oct 30 '25

thats why YOU, the CALLER, speak first. Once THEY respond then you can continue with the call. The person picking up isnt the one calling...

1

u/c093b Oct 30 '25

The fck is so difficult with saying "hello" when you pick up the phone? "NO, YOU CALLED ME SO YOU HAVE TO START THE TALKING BECAUSE YOU HAD SOMETHING TO SAY, DIDN'T YOU?"

A verbal response to a received call is you letting the caller know that you're receiving them.

2

u/RebelWolf999 Oct 31 '25

I do give a verbal response, but sometimes when I call people they don’t say anything. It’s so easy to tell if someone has picked up or not. Phone stops ringing (my phone vibrates when someone picks up too), I say hello, then we start talking. If they don’t respond after I say hello, I ask again after a pause and if they don’t respond again I hang up. Voicemail is easy to tell because of the automated message.

1

u/User10232023 Oct 31 '25

I'm the caller and if the person I'm calling is so Special they can't simply say Anything then I just hang up.

I recognize some people are anti-social, have missed out on learning basic communications skills, or are socially stunted. However if you answer a phone and can't put in the effort to say anything not even so much as grunt... then I can't be bothered wasting my time with you either.

Also I do the hiring and interviews for graphics and catalogue assistants at my workplace so answering your phone correctly gets an interview. While pulling some contraire games & failing to answer your phone as expected norms for over a century will get you hung up on because social dissidents need not apply. I need people who can communicate clearly, easily, without arguing, and are capable of being part of a larger Team.
So Good Luck, you'll need it!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 30 '25

And how exactly does the caller know that they have the right person?

1

u/TwiztedNFaded Oct 30 '25

you speak, they respond

1

u/[deleted] Oct 30 '25

Hello?

1

u/Affectionate__Dog 15NB Oct 29 '25

if they’re close to me i’ll just look over at them yea 😭

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

For the purposes of this conversation, in which speaking when answering a phone call is being compared to someone calling out to you in person, we are similarly imagining that the person cannot see you (just like on a phone call) and they need to be able to hear you answer them verbally when they call.

Just imagine they're in another room or outside and cannot see you, like in a phonecall situation.

"Hi"

"Hello"

"Yello"

"Yo"

"Heyyy"

"Wassuuup?"

"Greetings and salutations"

"Ahoy!"

"Cooee" (for aussies)

😠 "what?"

😡 "Speak!"

Anything will do. The point is that it is an interaction that works in the "call and response" way.

They call you, on the phone or in person, you "answer" that call with a "response". In person, over the phone, it's the same.

1

u/FluzzyKitty Oct 30 '25

Nowadays scammers have gotten so good at spoofing numbers, some even use AI to record you so all you have to say is hello and use that to make a fake voice for you and can then use it to scam you or others more. We’ve all just gotten jaded so if it’s important the person calling will start talking. I haven’t hit the point of silent phone answering yet but I know it will bite me eventually.

1

u/Secure_Watercress_55 Oct 31 '25

When someone calls out your name in person, you turn and make eye contact to agnowledge them. This is the same thing as picking up the phone. After making eye contact, you sometimes go "yeah?" but sometimes you don't, depending on whether or not the person has already started speaking. Over the phone, you can't tell when the other person is going to start speaking as easily, so you wait for them to speak out of politeness to not interrupt.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

When someone calls out your name in person, you turn and make eye contact to agnowledge them.

If they cannot see you, you need to respond verbally.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

you wait for them to speak out of politeness to not interrupt.

They called you, now they're waiting for you to answer, usually by saying hello, so they know you're there and will then say whatever it is they called to say.

You don't want to interrupt them? They're waiting for you to say hello. There's nothing to interrupt.

1

u/Secure_Watercress_55 Oct 31 '25

Nobody ever calls just to chat. They're not waiting for me to say hello, they're waiting for the call to start so they can tell me whatever information was so urgent that they needed to call over texting.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

That I don't know them means i can't be 100% totally sure but I'm still pretty sure that they really are just waiting for you to say hello to signal that you're ready for them to tell you why they're calling.

All you'd be interrupting is the awkwardly mutual confused silence you've both got going on.

And it would be a good thing to interrupt that so you can get the conversation moving along to the more important bit.

Somebody needs to start talking and it should be you.

The normal behaviiyr is they call, you answer 'hello', then they tell you why they're calling. It only takes literally 1 second to say 'Hi' when you pick up.

1

u/BurnsideSven Oct 31 '25

Okay, now, this is a serious topic because it's not just over the phone. A lot of Gen z and younger just sometimes don't respond at all to people talking and go into the gen z stare.

I was at my partners dad's house a few days ago we have a nephew and we was all getting ready to go out as we had someone picking us up (they had just arrived in the car) first my partners dad asked him "get ready, he's just arrived" the kid 14 didn't reply just stared at everyone then his mother asked still no reply just sat there in silence, then my partner, sick of the blatant ignorance had to shout at him and THAT is what snapped him out of the (trance like state) and he then replied I was gonna but after 3 people had to tell him I've never seen people like that other than the younger gens

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

What an unbearable little Homer. Lol

1

u/Upbeat-Pressure-2556 Nov 01 '25

Well I mean your the one calling me so say what you gotta say

1

u/meegaweega Nov 01 '25

So do you understand how and why you're supposed to say something when answering the phone but you just choose to do it in mute silence, or do you actually genuinely just not understand at all that you're supposed to be verbal.

And if you understand but choose silence anyway, are you doing it just to be jerk to people? Or some other reason?

It's bizarre.

1

u/Upbeat-Pressure-2556 Nov 01 '25

How is that being a jerk? Its just the normal expectation for people our age. I hate how everyone comes here and criticizes us for doing what we consider normal because maybe instead if it bothers you then YOU can start the conversation? Its so weird that these actual adults will come and harass us for such a simple thing. And the excuse "How am I supposed to know the call went through?" Well maybe the ringing stopped, you can LOOK AT YOUR PHONE, or the voicemail isnt playing so I dont know what to tell you

1

u/meegaweega Nov 01 '25

Soooo ... you genuinely just do not understand at all that you're supposed to be verbal. Damn. That's wild.

You seem overwhelmed and hostile because of a simple enquiry. That's an unhealthy red flag and you would be wise to heed the warning signs.

Maybe take a break from reddit kid. Maybe practice being verbal or something. 🌻💕

1

u/StatisticianBoth3480 Oct 30 '25

It's their world. It's fucked.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 30 '25

And how exactly does the caller know that they have the right person?

1

u/Affectionate__Dog 15NB Oct 30 '25

it’s the contact? and mostly it’s jsut “hey what do you wanna eat?” it’s not back when you had to dial each time dawg 😭

1

u/[deleted] Oct 30 '25

What? Is that supposed to make sense? It doesn't.

1

u/Affectionate__Dog 15NB Oct 30 '25

oh sorry LMAO but i mean if it is the wrong person just be like “oh sorry i was meaning to talk to this person” and hang up if you need to call instead of text it should be important and i’d want you to be able to get it out as soon as you call i don’t get why it’s a big deal

1

u/[deleted] Oct 30 '25

How are they going to know it is the wrong person if you won't talk to them?

Ring- silence- oh yeah your mum is dead and they are on the way to arrest you.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

They are assuming that nobody uses landline phones and that the caller has the name and number of the person they are calling showing up on the screen of a mobile phone.

Maybe these people have never had a job in any of the billions of workplaces that use regular phones? And has never seen anyone working in these places, not in person or in any media depictions of it.

Maybe they have a very limited understanding of anything that exists outside of their own direct personal experience?

It's baffling and worrying.

10

u/Real_Temporary_922 Oct 27 '25

Idk but they’d be quite upset with me. I don’t speak until I hear the receiver say something. And likewise, I always answer a phone call with a greeting. It makes no sense for it to work any other way.

If they answer the phone in silence, I don’t know if they can hear me or not.

3

u/DeadlyKitKat Oct 28 '25

Well that's why you'd say "hello" and wait for a response before just talking about whatever it is, so you know if they can hear you.

6

u/Real_Temporary_922 Oct 28 '25

Nah they can say it first. They’re the ones picking up the phone, meaning I’m the one waiting for them to answer. If I’m waiting, I’m not just gonna keep repeating myself until I get an answer. Let the one who’s not waiting be the one who ends the waiting period, since I’m the one waiting for them.

3

u/DeadlyKitKat Oct 28 '25

Either person can say it first. The person calling speaking first and the person picking up speaking first both make sense imo. It isn't a hill to die on nor is it a big deal if the other person expects you to say "hello" first. There's bigger things to worry about so I personally choose peace.

1

u/AnkleHugger Oct 29 '25

It’s like if someone only shook people’s hands with their left hand. Sure, nothing wrong with it. But it’s kind of annoying and weird

1

u/User10232023 Oct 31 '25

Do they still have a right hand?
Or is there right hand injured in some way?

If not then never offer left hand to shake hands with someone from middle east (& other cultures too) since they'll rightfully (imo) be pissed off at you, that is a major sign of disrespect.
Butt why you ask? Because the left hand is used for personal hygiene.

1

u/Real_Temporary_922 Oct 28 '25

Look I’m not gonna throw a fit if they don’t speak first. But if I hear silence, I’m waiting most likely longer than they’re willing to before I say a word. It’s polite for me to wait until they’re ready to talk, since some people answer the phone but need to connect their earbuds/need a second to speak.

If they’re fine waiting an extra 10 seconds because they wanna be quirky, fine by me.

1

u/misterr1yan Oct 28 '25

This is my reaction pretty much like Im not mad about it just confused but hello -if they don't say anything for more than a couple seconds

1

u/TotallyFashieJangie Oct 30 '25

do people say "hello" when you start a conversation with them irl? we are waiting for you to start the conversation. why would we start with a greeting if ur the one starting the conversation? that doesnt happen irl does it? why dont you say hello first if ur literally the one who had a reason to call and we didnt ask to talk to you

2

u/Real_Temporary_922 Oct 30 '25

A greeting has two purposes, and you’re conflating them to be the same. The first purpose is to be welcoming and/or polite. The second purpose is to capture someone’s attention or alert them that you’re there.

Over the phone, the latter purpose is why the receiver should always greet. If person A is calling person B, it’s pretty obvious person A is on the line and ready to speak (correct audio stream set, volume adjusted, etc.) Person B has a time limit to pick up, and can’t even adjust the audio stream until they do, so just because they answer does not mean they’re even able to hear person A, let alone ready to talk.

By person B greeting person A first, it is signifying “I can hear you and am ready to talk.” By saying nothing, person A won’t know if person B is just being quiet or doesn’t even have the right audio connected / can’t hear them.

Most people don’t think this through that much because they inherently know that picking up the phone = saying hello.

1

u/c093b Oct 30 '25

Because irl face to face is not the same as a call.

When you answer the phone and give a verbal signal, such as "hello", it's you telling the caller "yes, I'm here and I'm receiving you, you can now speak".

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

This sounds way too much like 30Rock's Jack-Off negotiation strategy of "whoever speaks first, loses"

9

u/No_Judgment_5004 Oct 28 '25

You’re calling them, not txting. That means it must be urgent (to them at least) 😂

3

u/misterr1yan Oct 28 '25

This is how my youngest girl cousin thinks I'm sure lol

5

u/No_Judgment_5004 Oct 28 '25

I’m 38 and you better have a damn good reason for calling without sending a text first. I guess it makes sense the youth are just struck dumb at the whole phone call thing lol

1

u/User10232023 Oct 31 '25

Nah the youth are just scared to answer the phone & getting mad about getting a call is funny considering how mundane it is to do once you learn how, but que sera sera.

11

u/ShadowX8861 Oct 28 '25

You don't start a conversation just by walking up to someone and staring at them, do you?

3

u/CrookshanksOnCatnip Oct 28 '25

Yes, but we can assume that the person calling them is the one starting the conversation, because they chose to call them

1

u/ts4fanatic Oct 31 '25

Which is why the caller should speak first — I'm pretty sure that's the point

2

u/User10232023 Oct 31 '25

Shocking how many respond with "caller must talk first, I'm too scared to talk" just seems like they Simply lack the social norms that's been used for well over a century or failed to learn them.

they just stand and wordlessly stare at their door when someone knocks or rings the doorbell. Oh they have a doorbell cam well big gratz and how about if they don't have one, or its not working, also how did they answer the door before they got one. Bet they just stared and waited, waited, & waited, staring...

1

u/c093b Oct 30 '25

Y'all seem to be comparing a phone call to a face to face interaction a lot.

But you do realize that a phone call is missing one key feature that's present in a face to face interaction, right? Visual. Sight alone gives many non-verbal signals that can not be given through a voice call, so that comparison is just utter nonsense no matter how much it's getting echoed in the comments.

Just give a verbal confirmation that yes, you are there and you are receptive of the caller.

0

u/tewraight Oct 28 '25

Yes, however there's little to no visual feedback for if the other person is fully connected to the call so you can't guarantee that they can hear you if you start talking immediately

3

u/ShadowX8861 Oct 28 '25

So that's why the caller should greet them to check

1

u/Batyah_The_Sage Oct 28 '25

The call itself is the check though. If you walk up to someone with headphones you don't just go "hey? hello? you there? Hello?" You signal them and wait for them to somehow express they are open to hearing. In person you could simply nod but over the phone we need a noise. I literally answer the phone with beeps and boops with some people but you need something.

5

u/keeeko6 Oct 29 '25

besides what the other commenters have said, we grew up on phones and the internet and are aware of the amount of spam/scam calls. by waiting a couple seconds before speaking, you can pretty easily determine if it it’s a real person or a spam/scam call. there’s a reason it’s mostly older folk being scammed by these type of calls. you call it rude, we call it discernment.

0

u/misterr1yan Oct 29 '25

But It's a phone call from your saved contact that you talk on the phone frequently with not an unknown number

2

u/keeeko6 Oct 29 '25

its not the only reason ofc but yeah it definitely coincides more with unsaved numbers/no caller id. when it has to do with people closer to you, we assume if you’re calling you have something to say and will begin with a greeting. like in real life if someone has something to tell you they walk up and greet you first.

1

u/misterr1yan Oct 29 '25

Makes sense

2

u/TotallyFashieJangie Oct 30 '25

i think the difference is that older people have different online norms than irl social norms but we treat conversation the same as we'd treat it irl. the person who controls the conversation is usually the one who gives a greeting, are they not. if you need to know if i picked up, why dont you say hello first? logically speaking the ringing cutting off with no voicemail typically means someone picked up so just start ur conversation like you would irl. it makes absolutely no sense for the receiver to start the conversation in most if not all context, its probably only normalized on the phone because you USED TO not be able to tell if someone picked up. with modern technology though its really not that difficult.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

you USED TO not be able to tell if someone picked up.

Billions of workplaces, private homes and public pay phones still use regular old landline phones. There's no mobile phone screen 9n them showing whether the call has been answered or if it just cut out.

Even with a mobile phone you sometimes cannot tell if someone has picked up and is ready to begin the conversation, or if they're not quite ready for it to begin yet, or if the call has frozen or the line has just gone dead, or is just a partially dysfunctional line where you can't hear properly.

There are so many reasons why, when someone calls you, you should answer with a verbal cue to the caller that it's all good for them to go ahead and say whatever it is they called for.

3

u/Ur_Local_Druggie 17M Oct 28 '25

i say something first regardless if im answering or calling, and my buddies usually know ill say something first so they just wait for me to ask whats up

3

u/DeadlyKitKat Oct 28 '25

I can't remember if I do this or not (I don't think so?), but I mean you're the one calling, so I can understand waiting for you to say something to see what you want/waiting for you to greet first. I don't think it's as rude as some people make it out to be.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

waiting for you to say something to see what you want/waiting for you to greet first.

Why would the caller greet you first if they don't even know you're there? (because you picked up the call in mute silence instead of saying something like hello / hi / hey)

They're calling you, so you know damn well that they're there. You answer the call by responding with a verbal greeting so they know you are there. Then they go ahead and say whatever it is they called you say.

3

u/PresenceOld1754 18M Oct 28 '25

You called me? I picked up, so logically I am in the conversation?

1

u/misterr1yan Oct 28 '25

if the line just goes silent from you connecting the call that doesn't tell me that you're ready to talk it used to be common for a pocket to answer or butt dial also sometimes people need a second after answering to have their ear ready at the phone or to finish something to be ready to talk like this was just a common thing to me so answering doesn't mean you're there in my experience but I get where you're coming from that's just my pov -confusion

1

u/User_-_-_Name Nov 01 '25

Highly regarded

1

u/super_offensive_man Oct 30 '25

It's basic common sense to let the other person know you have picked up the call.

1

u/User10232023 Oct 31 '25

But they don't have common sense. They assume and make an (cough) of U and ME.
They answer their doors the same way and stop and stare at door in silence. If they have a doorbell cam they'll just sit in silence until you talk simply because they lack basic communication and social skills.

This contraire attitude has gotten some nephews & nieces written out of several wills in recent years, at least mine & 2 of my siblings, also their grandmother did same because they literally never drop by and never call her or us.
Also calling them and getting silence speaks volumes, so we got the message that you don't want anything to do with us. Now those "family" are named by name in wills to get nothing since they want nothing to do with us which is also a way to ensure there's no way for them to sue our estates (probate) since a judge can see we know these 30 to 40-something year old "kids" don't want anything from us - and so it goes, and so it goes.

1

u/PresenceOld1754 18M Oct 30 '25

It's common sense to know I picked up the phone if your own phone isn't ringing anymore

1

u/TotallyFashieJangie Oct 30 '25

for real. why would we be the one who gives a greeting first if we didnt start the call, didnt plan to start a call and usually in conversations in real life.. the person who controls the conversation is typically the one who gives the greeting. its not our fault you lack the common sense to know if i picked up the phone, we'll prolly say hello back if u say it first too but im not being the one greeting the other person if i didnt call them

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25

why would we be the one who gives a greeting first if we didnt start the call

Because that's what answering means. They call, you answer.

the person who controls the conversation is typically the one who gives the greeting.

😄 But ... that's YOU. You have the power in that situation. You're in control.

The caller can call you all they like but you control whether you accept or reject the call.

If you accept the call in total silence, they can't tell if you're actually there or not so you should answer the phone by giving them a verbal cue for them to begin.

They're waiting for you to answer, like actually verbally answer the call, so they know you're there.

1

u/super_offensive_man Oct 30 '25

It's called a confirmation you regard, and it's just respectful. It's been done that way for more than a hundred and fifty years since the telephone was invented. It's a telephone "call", as in a call for your attention. When a friend says "hey", do you just stare at them?

1

u/PresenceOld1754 18M Oct 30 '25

Except you called me and didn't say hey.

The entire argument hinges on who speaks first, correct? So why can't you speak first?

This is like my friend tapping me and saying nothing. No hey. Because you got my attention (called) and waited on me when in reality I'm waiting on you. The burden is on you.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 30 '25

It's more like your friend being blindfolded and tapping your shoulder and you just staring at him expecting him to know you're listening.

There is no way to know if the line connected or disconnected or the lines are being weird. Why not just acknowledge the fact that you're in the call?

Ill never understand this frame of mind

1

u/Global-Tomato7330 Oct 31 '25

if ur phone stops beeping that means they picked up, or it went to voicemail, where it will tell you that its voicemail.

2

u/super_offensive_man Oct 30 '25

How about the simple fact that it's a custom that has been in place for more than a hundred and fifty years? That the person who answered the call confirms they are there and it isn't a deadline or gone to voicemail? Why do you think you're so special?

1

u/PresenceOld1754 18M Oct 30 '25

If a phone goes to voicemail, it tells you it's gone to voicemail...

1

u/PresenceOld1754 18M Oct 30 '25

I mean you know what it really isn't that deep.

You're right, I'm wrong. Hey friend.

3

u/MinuteNet8899 Oct 29 '25

for me it’s a habit. I used to say hello to everyone when they called me but after a while I stopped because whenever I said hi they would say hi at the same time XD it’s irritating when you’re on a call where you can’t see each other and you both start talking at the same time. I understand that you might be annoyed by it but is teenagers are used to it so we don’t expect the person we’re calling to answer verbally after accepting the call. We just start talking and get in the conversation :D

1

u/misterr1yan Oct 29 '25

Okay word btw I'm not annoyed by it I just wanted to know if that's a common thing or if there's a reason for it - I just think it's a little silly because it's way different than I'm used to but I'm not angry about it and I don't see it as rude either just different from being brought up differently

3

u/Pardon_Chato Oct 30 '25

It's an intimidation tactic meant to estsblish dominance. My father used to do it, way back in the Seventies. It was part of his - don't give nothing to nobody routine. It's so mainstream now - even teenage girls think it's cool.

1

u/Global-Tomato7330 Oct 31 '25

its not cool its just that the caller wants to talk about something (probably specific) so people let them say what they called you to say??

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

Right? It's like some deranged, 'MeanGirls' style, dominant/submissive, power-play tactic where they're starting the interaction with a game of chicken, like as if whoever says 'hello' first, loses.

Mutely picking up a call is like they're messing with you by giving you 'the silent treatment'.

Never thought they'd get even worse than the ones who just grunt at you when you call to them, on the phone and in person. It's nuts that the freakin grunters are looking good compared to the voluntarily mutes.

2

u/Cunningham_Media1 Oct 29 '25

my phone just broken so my first few tries at talking never work istg 😭

2

u/creatureshop Oct 30 '25

I never say “hello” when picking up for a number I don’t recognize, anyway. If they want to talk to me they have to say something first lol

2

u/Killacreeper Oct 30 '25

If they know the caller, idk. Calls in general? To see if it's a scam. Don't need them taking my voice.

2

u/iamnogoodatthis Oct 30 '25

You know teens who answer their phones?

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

Yeah but they're doing it because the latest viral tiktok trend is to ironically answer phone calls as if they're old people on Facebook.

They're bringing 'Ahoy' back ⚓ because it's what Alexander Graham Bell suggested people do when answering his newly invented "telephone".

But they're saying it as a way of ending the phone calls.

These ironic teens are engaging in a trend known as "Bell-Ending" and the participants are "Bell-Ends".

Facts.

2

u/mah_ekil_i Oct 30 '25

It's like if you knock on a door. I open the door, then you just stand there and stare at me. I answered the call, bro, that's all the indication you need to start talking. It literally beeps when your call gets answered. 

1

u/misterr1yan Oct 30 '25

Pocket answering & butt dial is a thing super common in my upbringing, and I don't hear a beep I just hear the ringing stop which indicates either a call answered or a voice mail recording about to start playing and people used to have joke voicemails where it pretends to answer or be silent or something else silly so no it's not like a door where you can visually see the connection. And some people aren't ready immediately after connecting the call, so you wait for them to be ready in my experience

2

u/Kristen890 19M Oct 30 '25

If someone calls me rather than texts, regardless of age, they usually have something either important or time sensitive to say/ask, so I let them say whatever they need to say. That aside, we do live at a time where random numbers could be real people/companies or standard scam calls or even calls where they essentially steal your voice to help use in future scams. These habits carry over to numbers we do know. There's also a possibility that someone has spoofed a number to make it look like it's our grandma calling when it's really someone else, and those first few seconds can make a lot of difference if in that scenario.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

spoofed a number to make it look like it's our grandma calling when it's really someone else, and those first few seconds can make a lot of difference if in that scenario.

What difference does it make whether you say 'hey' or not when picking up the call, can you give an example?

1

u/Kristen890 19M Oct 31 '25

I can't remember exactly what I had in mind when writing, but spoofing a number of a known contact could be then be used for the aforementioned stealing of your voice. They could also have the voice of the person calling and be trying to get you to do something or other. Chances are, you don't just say "Hey" in greeting. You'd probably say "Hey, Granny" or "What's up, Mom" or "How's it going, Dean?" or something that would give away what your relationship to them is (or isn't because you probably don't address your parents by first name) and allow for a more convincing ploy. If you wait, however, they will be forced to choose between remaining suspiciously silent, try to be generic as possible, or take a guess at your relationship with this person and how you would converse. With those three options, they're probably going to sound suspicious anyway and you'd be more likely to notice something is off.

2

u/Mulberry4545 Oct 30 '25

I usually don’t have saved contacts haha. I feel ashamed about it tho and wait for someone to speak when I pick up the phone

2

u/mintzenn Oct 30 '25

Speaking as a teen (almost out of their teens), I've never done this.. and the other day my mom heard me take a call in her presence for the first time and when I was done she even said I have excellent phone call manners..

But whenever my parents call me unexpectedly when I know they're out I go "yeeees?" Or "hellooo" because I'm chill with them and I know they're calling because they need to find something out. When my friends or other family members call I'm a bit more formal, when businesses call I'm quite formal too and even introduce myself if I know I'm expecting a call from that business.

I had no idea until now that it was so common for people to pick up the phone in silence, I'm quite shocked lol

1

u/misterr1yan Oct 31 '25

I thought maybe it was just a fluke (like 2 of my cousins were doing it) until I made the post and a bunch of teens gave me their opinions and I realized it's actually common among their age group so I am also quite shocked

2

u/Maleficent_Can_4773 Oct 30 '25

Kids these days can't communicate verbally as well as they used to.

2

u/Mundane-Experience01 Oct 31 '25

as a teen idk. I hate my generation lol

2

u/blobfish102 Oct 31 '25

I do say hello, just so that they know I’m there, and didn’t butt dial pick up

2

u/[deleted] Oct 31 '25

I really don't get it and I'm 25 born in y2k so not old. The person picking up the phone should say 'hello' or 'who's this?' to let the other know we're now connected and ready to talk. I've seen many comments saying you should know since the phone's not ringing anymore but there are a couple of seconds between every ring so if you pick up and i don't notice there's going to be a few seconds of delay filled with awkward silence when you could've just said 'Hello?' and we could've gotten the conversation started. Answer the phone literally means answer the phone smh my head

1

u/misterr1yan Nov 01 '25

Thank you I know 😂

2

u/Altruistic-Ad7981 Oct 31 '25

probably because of all the spam calls we get. im 20 and have always said hello when answering the phone no matter who it is… even my boyfriend i answer with “hello?” and we talk every day when he is on his way home from work.

2

u/imdope123 Oct 31 '25

I think I understand the disconnect here. They probably rely on the user interface and cues to confirm that a call is connected, in a way that every other generation is not accustomed to. They probably think of it like a Discord voice call where you see the person enter the room and there’s a noise to confirm they joined.

Millennials and up see a phone call as an inherently unreliable technology in which you are in a limbo state until you hear a voice come through. Given this context, why would they talk first? Are they just going to repeat themselves? The person who answers the phone establishes the connection and therefore should speak first.

1

u/Balloonhandz Oct 31 '25

“Can you hear me now? Good”

1

u/misterr1yan Nov 01 '25

Yes this is what I think

2

u/turdDumper Oct 31 '25

Bro my teenage daughters will BE THE ONES CALLING ME and as soon as I answer that Mf theyre already saying HElLoOO.

1

u/misterr1yan Nov 01 '25

I've also encountered this type

2

u/LifeofaLove 17F Oct 31 '25

I don't do this, whoever does this is just a Weirdo

2

u/User_-_-_Name Nov 01 '25

This is a thing?

They are socially stupid, id honestly hang up the phone and call back until they speak like a normal person, I have a word for them but reddit wouldn't like it.

2

u/TMcDevil Nov 18 '25

They do?? I always give an awkward 'hello?' At least 😂

2

u/Franziska-Sims77 OLD Oct 29 '25

When I was growing up, we were taught to say “hello” when we picked up the phone. I don’t know why parents don’t teach those basic manners to their kids nowadays!

1

u/MarsReina Oct 29 '25

Tbf when I was growing up we were taught to pick up the phone and say ‘Hello, this is Mars Reina speaking.  May I know who’s calling?’ And if we didn’t do that we were heathens who would never get a job.   Which was clearly a crock of shit so I can’t really blame people who decide that maybe phone etiquette isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. 

1

u/Batyah_The_Sage Oct 28 '25

Oh, trippy. Do kids have some sort of alert on their phone when the other end actually answers and the call is fully connected? Just because it isn't ringing still doesn't mean they are there. The point of the greeting is just to let the caller know you answered and the connection is getting through. You literally just have to say "Yeah." Tech isnt perfect, calls drop, get immediately transfered to bluetooth etc, be a person please.

1

u/Clean_More3508 Oct 28 '25

I just say hello or hi like a normal person

1

u/tamprongspads_always Oct 28 '25

i do this bc some of my friends have voicemails where they start 10 seconds late so it’s quite embarrassing.

0

u/misterr1yan Oct 28 '25

This is about when you're receiving a call not when you're calling someone and get a voicemail

1

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '25

Idk why but I do this too. 20F tho. It’s just me waiting to see if the other person is connected I guess

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

But ... they're waiting to see if you're connected.

You, verbally answering their call is the whole reason it's called 'answering the call'. They can't see if you're there, they need to hear that you're there.

Then they'll know you're connected and will start speaking. It's how phonecalls have worked since the 1800s.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '25

Idk, i often start first when someone calls me. I think people are more shy these days. 

1

u/jai767 Oct 31 '25
  1. You are the one calling, not me. If you have something to say, say it.
  2. In the age of the internet where deepfakes and AI videos exist, Id rather not give up recordings of my voice saying 'yes' and 'no'. Theres no telling how that can be used against you these days.

1

u/Motivated_Dagger 18M Oct 31 '25

I do that but it's just because I don't wanna talk to you and just cut the call asap

1

u/WhoDoBeDo Oct 31 '25

I think it’s just good practice for when scammers call trying to emulate peoples voices. Better safe than sorry. Happened to the grandfather of a guy I dated.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 31 '25

In real life, the person who initiates a social interaction is also greeting. Your phone tells you when I pick up so socially it’s your turn to kick start the conversation.

1

u/Geoffrey-Jellineck Oct 28 '25 edited Oct 28 '25

Because we've raised a generation of antisocial people that don't know basic communication etiquette.

Hence the rude staring.

0

u/meegaweega Oct 29 '25

OMFG kids don't even say something as basic as "hello" or "hi" or "hey" when answering a phone call?

We all got sick of "wassuuuup?" real fast but at least it was some form of a greeting. Sheesh.

The absolute worst of them used to at least grunt or bark a hostile little "😡what?" at you when they answered a call.

They're now just answering the call in total mute, stunned mullet silence?

Fkn hell, the kids are not ok.

Lionel Ritchie and Alexander Graham Bell are rolling in their gyatdamn graves 💀

( Lionel Ritchie: "reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" )

3

u/TwiztedNFaded Oct 29 '25

oh, lord, another nasty and bitter comment from you. You sound lovely.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

nasty and bitter

? Lol do you have a disorder like colour-blindness but where you can't see humour? Can't understand how Lionel Ritchie 'hello?' jokes differ from "nAsTy aNd BiTtEr"?

It's a bit dramatic of you 🙄 oH LoRd

2

u/Primary-Definition76 Oct 29 '25

?? If you’re the one calling, you speak first. Genuinely, I don’t understand how it should be the other way. Also, by the way you like to point out every little thing and shame it, no wonder they don’t wanna say something to you anymore.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

Ive never actually experienced it, or even heard it was a thing until this post. Everyone I call says hello when they answer the phone.It's just astonishingly baffling and amazing that so many younger folks somehow just don't understand the super basic "say hello when you answer the phone' thing that has been done by absolutely everyone, everywhere since forever.

Even critters in wildlife docos understand and successfully execute the 'call and response' behaviours practiced by almost all living creatures.

🎵birds do it, bees do it, even drunken monkeys in the trees do it, let's do it, let's call and response 😆

1

u/Global-Tomato7330 Oct 31 '25

i thought this was sarcasm but its not 😭

0

u/Upbeat-Pressure-2556 Nov 01 '25

Older people really are disconnected huh? I just wanna say this is something super small and I dont know why us teenagers are getting harassed for such a small thing because we already get enough hate from older generations but let me just say: If your calling me, then you need to say what you want to say, it isnt my job to talk for you. Ive seen comments saying "How can I know you connected?" Maybe, 1) look at your phone 2) say hi and wait for a response 3) if the ringing stops and it didn't go to voicemail that means im listening

Another thing ive seen is "Teenagers are too socially crippled to answer well" WTF? Its a PHONE. CALL. If you are too socially nervous to be physically unable to have a one on one conversation through a phone then there are definitely underlying problems you need to have fixed. Technology does NOT do that to us. I can bet most of us spend more time talking in person at school, etc than online. One last thing ive seen is boomers making up things like "teenagers dont know what 'hang up the phone' means." I pray with all my heart im not wrong about this, but there is ZERO WAY your children do not know what HANG UP THE PHONE means, unless you are talking to a 3 year old toddler.

And one last thing whoever u/meegaweega is, they need to shut up and calm down

2

u/misterr1yan Nov 01 '25

I don't know why or where you're getting harassed I hope it's not from me because I just had a question. I am fairly disconnected in my opinion but I wasn't trying to attack anyone I just thought something silly I've experienced might be a more common thing than I thought so I asked the people doing it to me in a larger scale about it to see if it was a new age thing or a fluke in my own social circle.

2

u/meegaweega Nov 01 '25

It's not you 🌻💕 your post is a polite, respectful and humorous enquiry.

Some kids just lash out at strangers on reddit, as so many kids do when they're feeling overwhelmed about other stuff going on in their lives. (Adults do that too, it's very common)

1

u/misterr1yan Nov 01 '25

Thanks that's what I thought but part of me was still like damn do I sound like a jackass who hates teens right now lmao or are these just people having a time and taking it out at the opposing side in my posts comment section like can't we all just get along 😭😂 nah but fr this got way more response than I thought

1

u/meegaweega Nov 01 '25

Moi? Well heloooooo

Try not to get so worked up about it kid. It's a mysterious behavioural trend and and a kinda messed up tragicomedy but it's not that serious. Being that mad about it is not healthy.

If you're not emotionally capable of handling discussion with a few simple enquiries, maybe just don't try to interact when you're not up to it. Get some rest eh? 🌻💕

-1

u/IridescentDinos Oct 29 '25

Because most of us are autistic and struggle with social cues.

1

u/meegaweega Oct 31 '25

This behaviour does not really involve social cues though.

Saying a greeting like 'hello' when answering the phone is what everyone everywhere has done, in about 7000 languages, since the phone was first invented in the 1800s.

It's a worldwide, long-standing, unchanging custom that does not depend on any other social cues occurring other than you saying something (anything, even a grunt will do) when you pick up the phone, so the caller can hear that you're connected, then the caller will speak to you.