Predicting telephone anxiety: use of digital communication technologies, language and cultural barriers, and preference for phone calls

ABSTRACT

This study examines telephone anxiety, a form of communication apprehension associated with making and taking a phone call. We theorize that the use of digital communication technologies can influence how anxious one feels about speaking on the phone. Supporting our theorization, we found a positive correlation between using digital technologies and telephone anxiety. Also, such a correlation was greater among non-native English speakers, indicating that the effect of using digital communications could be greater among people with a language barrier. Lastly, findings demonstrated that telephone anxiety might lead to preferring other forms of communication over a phone conversation.

KEYWORDS:

• Telephone anxiety
• digital technologies
• phone conversation
• language barrier
• millennials

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leanna T. Kim

Leanna T. Kim is a student at Columbia University in the City of New York. Her academic interests are in economics and political science.

Sang-Hwa Oh

Sang-Hwa Oh is assistant professor in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research is at the intersection of health/risk communication, emerging media effects (including AI and VR), diffusion of (mis)information, media literacy intervention effect, and roles of differential emotions in the communication process for public health promotion and social change.