Many young people say they are scared of both making and answering phone calls.

While talking on the phone is an indispensable part of work in the business world, their heart skips a beat when they hear phones ringing and they hesitate to make calls, fearing they might be considered a nuisance.

“I had been afraid of ringtones and my heart jumped when a phone rang even once,” said a 25-year-old woman who used to work for a waste collection company in Hiroshima Prefecture.