Gen Z leaves phones on ‘do not disturb’ to avoid notification anxiety

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. On X, formerly known as Twitter, user Max Burns sparked an online debate when he wrote, “TIL that some Gen Z kids keep their cellphones on ‘Do Not Disturb’ 24/7, so they never have to face the anxiety of answering the phone.” According to Buzzfeed, Burns wrote the post after discussing the feature with two of his Gen-Z co-workers. “I don’t think it’s a Gen Z thing, I think it’s overall anxiety of being plugged in 24/7,” one person wrote. “1% is from my mom.” “You sure it’s anxiety and not the fact that the public utility of the phone system has been completely taken over by spammers and is near useless?” someone else commented. Phone call anxiety amongst Gen Z isn’t an unfounded theory, with a 2023 study indicating that 90 per cent reportedly feel anxious about talking to someone on the phone.