I do recognise that a lot of it is probably just playing up for the joke, but I assume it has to come from somewhere. I regularly see posts where basically Person A sends an odd image/message, then follows up with “wrong number, sorry” and Person B responds with “wait stay”.
Do Americans, as a rule, not save phone numbers? Or is it purely a bit that has become a trope?
It used to be in-between uncommon and common… maybe a few times per year? Probably more common for people working in locations requiring an employee to find a replacement of they needed a shift off, and therefor consulting a list of numbers they dial manually. Even if we did save numbers, our world was smaller and we might save someone as Sue. But then we meet another Sue at a party at Doug’s house, so we save them as Sue from Doug’s. But then the first Sue starts dating Doug.