The death of ‘hello’: how gen Z - and scammers - put paid to the greeting

Key Points:

• The word "hello" originated as a variation of earlier attention-grabbing noises like "holla" and "hollo" used since the 16th century, but it became standardized as a telephone greeting after Alexander Graham Bell's invention in 1876, with Thomas Edison promoting "hello" over Bell's preferred "Ahoy-hoy."
• The telephone greeting "hello" replaced time-based salutations like "good morning" because calls could cross time zones instantly, making traditional greetings less relevant.
• Modern technology, especially smartphones with caller ID, has led to a decline in the use of "hello," with younger generations often answering calls with informal phrases like "Hi," "What’s up?" or even no greeting at all, according to surveys and reports.
• The decline of "hello" is partly driven by concerns over AI scammers who can clone voices from phone greetings to commit fraud, prompting advice to avoid saying "hello" to unknown callers and instead remain silent until identity is confirmed.
• As "hello" fades, experts suggest caution with phone greetings to protect against scams, marking a cultural shift in communication etiquette influenced by technological and security challenges.