Pedantic: You mean Y-axis, right? Technically, neither start at zero but I think you meant Y based on context.

If you have options where you live, you may want to look for a better grocery store. Kroger is not known for supporting their employees.

I assumed it was an attempt to mask videos from automatic copyright scanners. Like, the software couldn’t recognize the video as being copyrighted material if the sound was very different from the original audio.

You could try turning on Do Not Disturb for all numbers, all the time. The calls and texts will technically still happen but you won’t be notified of them. You may be able to avoid voicemails if you never set it up. You’ll see all your texts if you ever open the app although you may be able to disable or remove it. (YMMV based on your particular phone.)