A growing number of young people are moving away from the traditional phone greeting “Hello” when answering calls, opting instead for more informal, personalized, or even silent beginnings. This change appears to reflect broader shifts in how Generation Z interacts with voice communication in an era dominated by smartphones and digital connectivity.

Among those embracing this trend is Avigail Sharon, 21, who prefers answering calls with playful variations such as “Bello” or using made-up dialects like “Minionese.” Similarly, 22-year-old Sophia Perez explained that she often answers unknown numbers in silence, waiting for the caller to initiate conversation—an approach motivated in part by concerns over voice scams and spam calls.

Experts suggest that the decline of “Hello” as a standard phone greeting stems in part from technological changes. Griffin Bassett, a linguistics researcher specializing in digital communication, noted that smartphones combine caller ID with social media and messaging apps, creating a more continuous, asynchronous conversation experience. As a result, greetings are less necessary to establish connection or context, with many calls feeling like part of an ongoing thread rather than a standalone exchange.

This phenomenon is supported anecdotally by groups of young people interviewed in New York and elsewhere who say they often skip formal greetings altogether. Instead, some begin with informal questions like “Where are you?” or launch directly into explanations or stories, frequently using voice notes as a preferred medium over live calls or long text messages. This method is valued for maintaining conversational tone and efficiency.

A recent psychological study analyzing 14 years of recordings of more than 2,000 individuals found that daily word counts have declined, suggesting a general reduction in spoken language use over time. This broader communicative change may help explain the erosion of traditional phone etiquette.

Social etiquette educators report mixed reactions to this shift. Myka Meier, a founder of a New York etiquette school, found that about one-third of teenagers surveyed did not use any greeting when answering calls, citing mistrust of the caller as a common reason. This sense of caution is understandable amid the rise of AI-driven scams and phishing attempts, which have made younger generations more wary of unknown contacts.

Overall, the once universal “Hello” appears to be reserving its place mostly for formal contexts, such as professional or medical calls, while informal greetings and silent acknowledgments have taken the lead within personal networks. As phone communication practices continue to evolve alongside technology, traditional norms of verbal courtesy may become increasingly rare.