The phone call peaked sometime around 2009 and has been losing ground ever since. What was once the fastest, most direct way to reach someone is now competing with spam calls, scam attempts, and robocalls about extended warranties on cars nobody remembers buying. For many younger adults, the phone ringing has come to mean one thing: someone is about to waste their time. According to a new ReverseLookup.com survey of 9,482 Gen Z adults ages 18 to 30 across the U.K., U.S., Latin America, and Europe, 69% keep their phones on silent most days. Seventy-four percent regularly ignore calls from unfamiliar contacts, and 53% say unexpected phone calls feel intrusive. At this point, picking up an unknown number requires a level of optimism that most people simply don’t have anymore. Videos by VICE The etiquette change is pretty clear. Texting asks for someone’s attention. Calling demands it right now, with a little ringtone siren attached.…