“Americans just aren’t picking up the phone much anymore. Eight-in-ten Americans say they don’t generally answer their cellphone when an unknown number calls, according to newly released findings from a Pew Research Center web survey of U.S. adults conducted July 13-19, 2020…The majority of Americans (67%) say their general practice is to not answer the phone when an incoming call is from an unknown number but to check a voicemail if one is left. The share of Americans who say they generally ignore any voicemail left after not answering a call is relatively low (14%) but does vary by gender, race and ethnicity, and income level. People’s reluctance to pick up phone calls they don’t recognize can affect a variety of activities, including participation in contact tracing programs to identify and isolate those who have contracted COVID-19. Recent reports suggest that some public health authorities are struggling to make contact with those who have been exposed to COVID-19…”