Apparently, Gen Z'ers Leave Their Phones On 'Do Not Disturb' 24/7 For A Very Specific Reason, And I Don't Know How To Feel

The “Do Not Disturb” feature on mobile phones is commonly used when you’re busy at work, about to go to sleep, trying to study, and...when you’re trying to avoid anxiety?

Recently, X (formerly known as Twitter) user Max Burns stirred up some discourse when he said, “TIL that some Gen Z kids keep their cell phones on Do Not Disturb 24/7, so they never have to face the anxiety of answering the phone.”

For further context, Max told BuzzFeed, “I was having a conversation with two of my Gen Z coworkers about [Do Not Disturb], and they had both mentioned the anxiety of getting unexpected calls.”

The tweet has 5.1 million views and has garnered over 600 replies, with people of all ages weighing in.

As an older Gen Z’er who deals with anxiety myself, the only time my phone is on “DND” is when I’m about to sleep — and I have my phone set to turn it off at a certain time in the morning. Honestly, none of my friends have their phones on perpetual silence either. In fact, the thought of not knowing whether I’m getting notifications makes me even more nervous?!

My phone suffers from perpetual dryness, though, so maybe that’s why hearing notifications doesn’t bother me that much. That, and whenever I get a spam call, I just block the number immediately.

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