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If you are feeling anxious about making phone calls to strangers, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, over half of Canadians share the concern.
In an online survey conducted by Research Co., 53 per cent of Canadians reported feeling anxious when they have to make a phone call to a person they do not know.
“Two-thirds of Canadians aged 18-to-34 (66 per cent) dread a telephone conversation with a stranger,” Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a press release. “The proportions are lower among their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (55 per cent) and aged 55 and over (40 per cent).”
When it comes to text messages and emails, Canadians’ opinions remain divided—46 per cent of people believe this form of communication is impersonal, while 47 per cent disagree, according to Research Co.
Breaking down the data by region, nearly half (49 per cent) of Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents are more likely to consider text messages and emails as impersonal. This proportion is slightly lower among people in Ontario (48 per cent) and British Columbia (47 per cent), and even lower in Quebec (44 per cent), Atlantic Canada (42 per cent) and Alberta (41 per cent).
When Canadians were asked about their feelings regarding giving a speech in front of others, 43 per cent of respondents stated that they have no fear of doing so. However, this proportion drops to 39 per cent among women.
The survey also shows that Canadians prefer certain modes of communication for certain tasks.
For instance, over a third of Canadians (35 per cent) would opt to make a phone call if they had to ask a question to their municipality or City Hall, while 31 per cent would choose to send an email, and 22 per cent would prefer to schedule a meeting in person.
Forty-one per cent of Canadians said they would choose to place a phone call when they have a question for their bank, while about three-in-ten (31 per cent) would opt for an in-person meeting. However, fewer Canadians would choose to communicate with their financial institution via email (11 per cent), an app (nine per cent) or a text message (seven per cent).
When it comes to ending a relationship, 77 per cent of Canadians believe that the best way to do so is in person.
For nine per cent of people, a text message would be considered a reasonable way to break up, with this proportion rising to 13 per cent among those aged 18-to-34, according to the survey.
When asked which option they prefer when resigning from a job, 68 per cent of Canadians choose to do it in person, while 13 per cent would opt to leave a position after sending an email, with this choice being made by 19 per cent of Canadians aged 35-to-54.
Canadians continue to be divided on their preferred method of ordering food delivery to their home, with very similar proportions opting for a phone call (40 per cent) or using an app (38 per cent).
Methodology:
Results are based on an online study conducted from August 17 to August 19, 2023, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.