You are probably already wondering: Why on earth would anyone be
scared or have the fear of talking on the phone? The funny truth is that the
fear of making and receiving phone calls is so common it has its own name:
phone phobia (also telephone phobia or telephobia). A number of Nigerians who
have phones and seem to be married to their devices actually struggle with this
“ailment”.
Many phone users find it easy to text with their phones, email on
them, navigate with them, and then we play Candy Crush on them, but when it
comes to picking up the telephone and talking, it becomes a different ball
game. Actually, there are quite a number of reasons why a person might be
afraid of phone calls. Jumia Travel, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking service
tries to quell your curiosity by sharing a few reasons why Nigerians sometimes
refuse to talk on their phones.
They feel vulnerable
A majority of Nigerians prefer to communicate via e-mail, texts,
voice notes and other forms of communication that do not require impromptu
response. These forms of communication presents them with the opportunity to
edit whatever they want to say and coin it in the best way possible before they
send it in. With phone calls, they have to respond immediately and so, they do
not have that option of editing themselves. This makes them feel more
vulnerable as most become afraid of saying what they will later regret.
Fear of being recorded
No one likes to be recorded unawares, but for some Nigerians, the
fear that they will be recorded while having a conversation on the phone is so
great that they try to wriggle themselves out of any situation that involves
them having to talk on the phone. Some even pick up the phone and refrain from
saying anything else other than “yes” or “No”, while others even disguise their
voice so it is not easily recognized.
Wasting credit/airtime
This is the number one reason why Nigerians do not talk on the
phone. They buy air time which they mostly refer to as “credit” either by
topping up or buying cards from registered vendors, but most of the time, the
air time runs out so fast that they have to spend a substantial sum to make a
long phone call. As a result, some develop this phone phobia and only feel
comfortable when texting or communicating via Social Media chat platforms like
Whatsapp, Viber or IMO.
Phone voice
When you ask some Nigerians who do not like to make phone calls
why they have a phobia for it, they tell you they do not like the way their
voice sounds on the phone. It may seem like a very trivial reason, but a number
of Nigerians actually refrain from making calls as a result of this.
Past experience
Some Nigerians develop the fear of talking on the phone after
having a negative experience over a call, like a breakup or a bad medical
diagnosis. They eventually feel extremely anxious whenever they are on calls
and go to great lengths to avoid phone calls (even from friends!).
___________________________________
Nkem Ndem
| PR Associate at Jumia Travel
phone +234 (0)7033853356 | skype Vivienne Ndem
phone +234 (0)7033853356 | skype Vivienne Ndem
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