One thing most people expect in a healthy relationship is their partner being there for them. But that might be difficult to do when they’re not around, and when they can’t be reached using a phone, social media, or mail pigeon, for that matter.
For this redditor, her husband not being available when she needed him the most pushed her to the brink of considering divorce. Because of his habit of not having phone conversations when he was focused on other things, the woman has emphasized the importance of being available on calls for emergencies time and again; but even that didn’t help getting a hold of him on his phone when she found herself in an actual emergency.
Being focused on work or other things can lead to ignoring calls, which might be important
Image credits: Djordje Petrovic / Pexels (not the actual photo)
This man ignored his wife’s SOS call after she got into an accident, which led to her considering divorce
Image credits: Sami Aksu / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: ThrowRA_lisabee
Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Many people deliberately avoid calls, be it their boss or their loved one who’s calling
It’s safe to assume that most people want to feel safe, loved, and appreciated in a relationship. And in many cases, that’s exactly what they get with their partner, who can calm them down when things get too overwhelming, lift them up when they feel down, or rush to their side when they are in need of help.
That’s why few things feel better than going straight into your loved one’s arms after a long day or calling them up just to hear their voice. That is, of course, if they pick up the phone.
Picking up the phone—or carrying out a conversation that is longer than him saying “I’m busy”, to be more exact—is seemingly not something the OP’s husband is keen on doing when focused on other things. And apparently, he’s far from the only one.
A study based on the phone usage of 2,000 Americans found that many of them purposefully avoid calls, be it their boss or their partner who’s on the other end, the New York Post reports.
While close to four-in-five people in the US choose not to pick up a sales call—which is arguably not that surprising—one in five of them (22%) ignore their significant other, too. What might come as a surprise, though, is that, according to said research, people tend to ignore their favorite person as often as they do their boss. (And let’s be honest, bosses are rarely ever their employees’ favorite humans.)
Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Some people feel seriously anxious making phone calls
According to the aforementioned research, the vast majority of people say that it’s increasingly more difficult to reach them on the phone, which might be puzzling bearing in mind that the time people spend on their phones has reportedly been increasing in recent years, too.
But having your phone on hand—or quite literally, in your hand—does not necessarily mean that you’re willing to answer a call. Some people are not only unwilling to, but stressed over having to have a call. A survey carried out by BankMyCell found that as much as 81% of millennials—also known as the ‘mute generation’ for this very reason—get apprehension anxiety before summoning up the courage to make a phone call.
Even though the OP’s husband falls within the age range of being a millennial, it’s unclear if phone call anxiety was the reason he wouldn’t take longer calls. Be that as it may, it definitely isn’t reason enough to ignore an emergency call from your wife, which was something quite a few redditors in the comments criticized him for.