July 16, 2025 • 4 mins
Rory O'Neill speaks with Mendte in the Morning about the different way that Gen Zer’s answer the phone compared to people who grew up before cell phones.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, this is really kind of a fascinating story because
we have answered the phone a certain way since there's
been a phone forever. When the phone rings, you say hello. Well,
apparently that may be going out of fad. Let's talk
(00:20):
to Rory O'Neil, wr National correspondent about this. So what
happens when you call somebody.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Now, Well, if they're a gen zer, they're more likely
just to pick up the phone and be quiet.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And that's kind of disconcerting.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Why.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Well, the idea is essentially you talk is how it
works because you know, over the years we've been conditioned
with all these robocalls or spam calls, whatever you want
to call them. When the robot calls, you pick up,
it doesn't say anything until you say hello, and then
it starts its computerized pitch, sales pitch.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
So that's part of it.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Other parts are and maybe about social anxiety, but you know,
with caller ID, that's a difficult one to apply. But look,
you know we've answered the phone differently over the years,
Different countries answered differently.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
You know, you could we used to, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Alexander Graham Bell would say oh, hey, hoy when I
answered the phone. You know, we got to hello over
the decades, and you know, maybe it's just changing again.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, and it could be changing again. But then there's
this silent standoff, isn't there where nobody says anything for
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Like who It just puts the onus again.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
It puts the onus on the caller to say, well,
you called, you talk you know you're already interrupted me once.
And this also changes a bit because you know, twenty
years ago you would have called a house phone. You
don't know who's picking up, right, is it going to
be the husband and the wife, the kids? You don't
know who you're gonna get on the phone. But these
days you know exactly who you're calling. They know exactly
who's calling them, so it can be a different kind
(01:59):
of conversation. Some people I talked to earlier today, they
just launch right into their talking points.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
They won't even say, oh, hey, Larry, how are you
this morning?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
They just go, so we're gonna have lunch at too, right,
you know, and and have the conversation that way.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Wow, it's embarrassing when you have a wrong number.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Huh as much right, it's you know you're already telling
Siri or whoever to call X y Z person audibly
or you know it's all programmed.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Who knows anyone's phone number anyway? Right?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That is that's very true. It's it's is bizarre. Do
you know many gen Zers.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I got.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I have twin nieces who are right there in the zone,
so I look at them all the time.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
They do question everything, everything and nothing. No standards are
good for them anymore. The question always. I have two
at home, That's why I'm saying this, ah, and they
question everything, and I really don't remember being that way.
I think I really believe gen Z looks at us
(03:01):
and says, well, you screwed everything up, so let's try
to do go ahead.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
I think they should be Jen eye roll, Yes, that's great.
I mean more so than Z is like sort of
a cop out after we gen xers. But yeah, no,
Jen iroll. They just it's constantly ugh with.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
The I rolls.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Yeah, you have two gen z Ors, Natalie, I do.
I agree with you? Right, they do. They question everything.
I think that's a good thing. I was gonna say.
I don't see it as a negative. I mean they
should be questioning things. I think we took everything that
people told us and said yes, yes, yes, okay, that's right.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah, but not when you want them to clean up
their room or make the bed or do the dishes.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I don't need your questioning that.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
You know what, Well, then we just don't give them
the car keys and that's it. So yeah, that doesn't
happen because we coddle these kids too much. I know
you do, and I'm sure I know I do, so
thanks so much, Rory O'Neil really appreciate it. That's a
that's a tremendous topic.
Well, this is really kind of a fascinating story because
we have answered the phone a certain way since there's
been a phone forever. When the phone rings, you say hello. Well,
apparently that may be going out of fad. Let's talk
(00:20):
to Rory O'Neil, wr National correspondent about this. So what
happens when you call somebody.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Now, Well, if they're a gen zer, they're more likely
just to pick up the phone and be quiet.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And that's kind of disconcerting.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Why.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Well, the idea is essentially you talk is how it
works because you know, over the years we've been conditioned
with all these robocalls or spam calls, whatever you want
to call them. When the robot calls, you pick up,
it doesn't say anything until you say hello, and then
it starts its computerized pitch, sales pitch.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
So that's part of it.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Other parts are and maybe about social anxiety, but you know,
with caller ID, that's a difficult one to apply. But look,
you know we've answered the phone differently over the years,
Different countries answered differently.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
You know, you could we used to, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Alexander Graham Bell would say oh, hey, hoy when I
answered the phone. You know, we got to hello over
the decades, and you know, maybe it's just changing again.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, and it could be changing again. But then there's
this silent standoff, isn't there where nobody says anything for
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Like who It just puts the onus again.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
It puts the onus on the caller to say, well,
you called, you talk you know you're already interrupted me once.
And this also changes a bit because you know, twenty
years ago you would have called a house phone. You
don't know who's picking up, right, is it going to
be the husband and the wife, the kids? You don't
know who you're gonna get on the phone. But these
days you know exactly who you're calling. They know exactly
who's calling them, so it can be a different kind
(01:59):
of conversation. Some people I talked to earlier today, they
just launch right into their talking points.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
They won't even say, oh, hey, Larry, how are you
this morning?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
They just go, so we're gonna have lunch at too, right,
you know, and and have the conversation that way.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Wow, it's embarrassing when you have a wrong number.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Huh as much right, it's you know you're already telling
Siri or whoever to call X y Z person audibly
or you know it's all programmed.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Who knows anyone's phone number anyway? Right?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That is that's very true. It's it's is bizarre. Do
you know many gen Zers.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I got.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I have twin nieces who are right there in the zone,
so I look at them all the time.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
They do question everything, everything and nothing. No standards are
good for them anymore. The question always. I have two
at home, That's why I'm saying this, ah, and they
question everything, and I really don't remember being that way.
I think I really believe gen Z looks at us
(03:01):
and says, well, you screwed everything up, so let's try
to do go ahead.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
I think they should be Jen eye roll, Yes, that's great.
I mean more so than Z is like sort of
a cop out after we gen xers. But yeah, no,
Jen iroll. They just it's constantly ugh with.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
The I rolls.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Yeah, you have two gen z Ors, Natalie, I do.
I agree with you? Right, they do. They question everything.
I think that's a good thing. I was gonna say.
I don't see it as a negative. I mean they
should be questioning things. I think we took everything that
people told us and said yes, yes, yes, okay, that's right.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah, but not when you want them to clean up
their room or make the bed or do the dishes.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I don't need your questioning that.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
You know what, Well, then we just don't give them
the car keys and that's it. So yeah, that doesn't
happen because we coddle these kids too much. I know
you do, and I'm sure I know I do, so
thanks so much, Rory O'Neil really appreciate it. That's a
that's a tremendous topic.
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