Reply #10: One thing I've never understood [View All]

[dmallind]

is why people object to cell phones more than in person conversations.


They SAY it's because cell phones are annoying and intrusive (and of course they certainly can be - but no more than in person conversations in the same scenarios would be), but why is hearing a person talking into a phone more intrusive and annoying in and of itself than two people talking? I suspect some of the angst comes from the fact that listeners - involuntary or voluntary - can only hear one part of the conversation, and subconsciously resent this more than they would hearing both sides.

Yes SOME people speak louder into phones than in real life, but you don't need to and in fact quite the opposite is also possible as much of the phone mic pickup is not from the mouth but from the internal speech organs (hence why bluetooth headsets several inches from the mouth work just fine).

And yes specific examples like the OP suggest s are invasive anyway (but of course so would an analogous personal conversation on the spot be the same).

BUt in a situation where conversations are normal - in a line or at a reastaurant - there is only one reason I can think of where a normal cell phone conversation would be more annoying thatn the same conversation between the calling parties right there in person - and it's the unfulfilled curiosity of teh listener.

General musing only - not directed at OP.