'Who Is This?' Culture: Why People Investigate Before They Respond and How ReverseLookup Can Help
Feb. 18 2026, Updated 2:42 p.m. ET
In an online world, communication with strangers is more common than ever. Whether they’re in your town, your broader locale, or even across state or country lines, interacting with people you don’t know is second nature to most, and as accessible as opening an app on your phone.
Unfortunately, there are times when certain interactions trigger the “Who is this?” mentality. Whether it’s from a random message in the middle of your workday or a strange call in the middle of the night, unknown usernames, emails, and even callers can trigger not just doubt, but curiosity.
While platforms such as ReverseLookup.com have existed for years in many forms, these sites now offer broader insight into who you might be talking to, but also what their intentions might be.
The Core Behaviors of People Online
Interacting with strangers online often comes with uncertainties. Given the anonymity of the internet, some may throw caution to the wind when it comes to who they communicate with, especially if it’s just in passing. However, there are three types of behaviors people default to online.
The first is the preemptive ignorer, who often blocks or dismisses calls or friend requests without investigation. While this may be one of the most common, especially in an era where communication is capable at the push of a “send message” or “friend request” button, this highlights only one of the behaviors that people use when interacting with strangers.
The second, and sometimes more common, is the digitally curious. Searching numbers on a search engine, or an email or username alongside it, often creates a sense of understanding about where this person might have come from, and what their intentions may be.
Last but not least, some people are considered to be selective responders. These types of people often evaluate clues for context, such as the time of call, their area code, before they respond.
The Generational Divide
While it is true that people have been forced to adapt to a digital world, there are key differences in how different generations respond to random calls they receive, or even the messages that are sent to their smartphones.
Older adults, such as those who fall within the Generation X or the Baby Boomer age ranges, may be more likely to answer calls, sometimes out of habit from growing up in an era where only people in their locale knew their phone number.
Younger adults, in contrast, may ignore calls entirely. Those in the Millennial and Generation Z brackets might prefer text-based or even asynchronous communication. However, they are also more likely to use verification tools like ReverseLookup in the process.
A New Social Norm
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
While some individuals have always had a general distrust of strangers, the normalization of looking people up before responding is becoming more common than ever, especially at a time when scams are prevalent.
The way someone responds to an unknown number reflects a lot about their personality. Nowadays, not returning a phone call or a text message isn’t about trust or social obligation, but about the risk that comes with it. This is why these online tools are now more necessary than ever.
