Somebody please explain cell phone use ...

[Simba's Mom]

The reason I always use speaker phone is that when the phone's up to my ear, I seem to lean on it wrong and end up accidently cutting off the call. Yes, I'm "cell-phone-challenged".

 

[DLgal]

I hate this SO FREAKING MUCH. I literally get the urge to grab the phone and throw it as hard as I can when I see people doing this.

Two plausible explanations, though:

1. Phones get hot and sometimes holding it up to your ear/face burns. I have had this happen to me on hot days and when I pull the phone away, it's all gross and sweaty. Yuck.

2. I see mostly women doing this, which makes me think it is because when you hold the phone up to your face, the screen ends up all greasy/smudge from makeup, and then you need to clean it to use it again.

My solution to these issues is wear earbuds with a microphone if I need to actually talk on my cell phone. I do this both at home and while out. No one else needs to hear the person on the other end of my phone.

 

[_19disnA]

^^ I agree and who watches those nonsense shows? You know the people on those shows get encouraged by the producer to make everything far more dramatic then in real life..............LOL.

 

[lifesavacation]

The reason I always use speaker phone is that when the phone's up to my ear, I seem to lean on it wrong and end up accidently cutting off the call. Yes, I'm "cell-phone-challenged".

I didn’t even think about this one. When I’m on a customer service call, I always switch over to speakerphone because I don’t want to risk holding for so long and then accidentally disconnecting the call. It happens!

 

[Imzadi]

I find it more comfortable to use the speaker phone, although I wouldn't use it in a crowded space unless I had headphones. Any calls I take in public I tend to find a place off to the side.

I do that because the ear speaker on the phone doesn't really work so unless it is on speaker I can't hear it.

I have found that the microphone isn't always the best if I hold it up to my face...or I've accidentally hit the hang up "button" a few times. So on occasion I will hold it sort of out like that, so that it's easier for the person to hear me.

Exactly. The sound level is not good in my ear speaker. I even have a sound boost app to amply the sound for both the ear & speaker phone. The times I've held the phone to my ear, it was too close to my face or hair and my phone ended up accidentally hitting buttons & DIALING numbers so the person couldn't hear me. She heard better when I used the speaker phone.

There are other times when I have to use the touchpad to enter in numbers or a code. When the phone is upright, next to my ear, the touchscreen is supposed to turn off. (Except of course, when it randomly dials instead. ) When I lower the phone to enter the code, I often have to hit the button to display the touchpad, losing time I need to enter the code.

Having the phone down, using the speaker phone works so much better. However, I do not use it in public. I too, go off to the side to be by myself, and not disturb others. It's as much for them as it is for me. I don't want people listening in to my phone calls.

 

[tzolkin]

Seriously though. Nobody wants to hear your calls. If you can't hold it up to your ear then the conversation should wait until you are behind closed doors. And I'm not talking about a bathroom stall.

Recently we stopped at a gas station/truck stop bathroom and there was a lady in one of the stalls talking to a man on speaker phone. It was busy and there was lots of flushing so he definitely knew she was in a public bathroom. When she came out to wash her hands, we saw that she did not have him on speaker, but instead he was on video/FaceTime.

 

[Meglen]

I wont do this in public but my phone has the tendincy to mute or end calls with my cheeks lol so speaker phone is a better option.

 

[Jennasis]

Why are phone conversations worse or more annoying than listening to two people talking to each other in person? Note, I find I more annoying too but I don't know why.

 

[Hrhpd]

I'll try to explain this as best I can ... it drives me crazy when I see people in public who speak into their cell phone by holding it out in front of them and speaking in to the bottom of the phone. Why do people do this rather then hold the phone up to their ear like you would with a desk phone? In addition to looking ridiculous, it also requires the user to have the phone on speaker so everybody in the area gets to hear way more than we want to. Why is this happening?

Who cares? Their phone, their conversation, their business.

If I am not bothered by a conversation in public between two people, why would I be bothered by the same conversation between 2 people with a phone in between them. Standing on a crowded subway, I am privy to many different conversations. Or in a store, a beach, in line at Disney. I just ignore.

And who cares how someone holds their phone? Who is paying that much attention to strangers that not only do they notice, but also get annoyed over what a complete stranger is doing? I have enough of my own things to get annoyed over, don't need to add fleeting interactions with strangers.

Constant speaker phone usage by an fellow employee in an office setting is a whole different thing.

 

[lifesavacation]

Why are phone conversations worse or more annoying than listening to two people talking to each other in person? Note, I find I more annoying too but I don't know why.

I’m not sure why some people find it more rude. I walked into the break room yesterday and someone was eating lunch and had a call on speakerphone. It didn’t even register to me as rude and I only thought of it after reading this thread. I see it as no different than two people sitting there talking to each other.

 

[DLgal]

The reason I always use speaker phone is that when the phone's up to my ear, I seem to lean on it wrong and end up accidently cutting off the call. Yes, I'm "cell-phone-challenged".

Does your phone not automatically turn the screen off when it's up to your ear? All my Samsung Galaxy phones have done that. There is no way to accidentally disconnect the call. You do need to switch this feature on.

 

[DLgal]

Why are phone conversations worse or more annoying than listening to two people talking to each other in person? Note, I find I more annoying too but I don't know why.

It's the crappy, tinny sound that comes out of the phone speaker and the fact that it always seems to be a maximum volume, which just makes my ears bleed. Also, people tend to talk way louder when they are on speaker phone.

 

[gwynne]

I’m not sure why some people find it more rude. I walked into the break room yesterday and someone was eating lunch and had a call on speakerphone. It didn’t even register to me as rude and I only thought of it after reading this thread. I see it as no different than two people sitting there talking to each other.

Because when people turn up the speakerphone, they talk much louder. It really isn't hard to find a quiet place and continue the conversation sans speakerphone.
Most of us really don't want to hear all the back and forth details of other people's personal calls.

 

[Jennasis]

Because when people turn up the speakerphone, they talk much louder. It really isn't hard to find a quiet place and continue the conversation sans speakerphone.
Most of us really don't want to hear all the back and forth details of other people's personal calls.

I don't want to hear the back and forth details of your regular conversation either.

 

[gwynne]

I don't want to hear the back and forth details of your regular conversation either.

Pretty sure that isn't a problem with me, but thanks for the "reminder".

 

[Hrhpd]

Because when people turn up the speakerphone, they talk much louder. It really isn't hard to find a quiet place and continue the conversation sans speakerphone.
Most of us really don't want to hear all the back and forth details of other people's personal calls.

I have not experienced that. I find conversations run the gamut of volume. I have heard in person conversations both loud and soft as well as phone conversations. If someone is bothered by a stranger talking, that is their issue.

 

[DeniseJH]

There's a necessary volume for every situation - whether on a cellphone or conversing with a person who you are with. If you are exceeding that volume you are probably going to annoy people. Read the room. (JMHO)

 

[amcnj]

It is probably the loudness that is getting to you most, not necessarily that it’s a cell phone, on speaker or not. If the cell phone user is speaking at a normal conversation level, you probably wouldn’t even notice it. And the same applies to face to face conversations that are really loud. Maybe it is part of the trend where we don’t always seem to remember there are other people in the world.

Granted there are occasions where something urgent is going on, and you have to take that call right then and there, But we have definitely gotten used to immediacy: instant answers, instant communication, etc. A phone call, e-mail, or text beckons us to respond/answer it right now.

 

[NotUrsula]

Does your phone not automatically turn the screen off when it's up to your ear? All my Samsung Galaxy phones have done that. There is no way to accidentally disconnect the call. You do need to switch this feature on.

Sure there is: the power button. On my Samsung, it is always directly under my thumb if I hold the phone to my right ear. If my hand gets sweaty and I have to hold the phone tighter, I end up squeezing it by accident all too often.

My solution is earbuds or my bluetooth if I've remembered to charge it. I'm HOH, so I ask people who know me to text before they call, so that I can make sure to get my earbuds out. (I also often won't hear it ring if the area is noisy.) If I'm in a public place when a call that will last more than 30 seconds comes in, I ask the caller to let me call them right back, and I move to a quiet space.

FWIW, I won't take/make a phone call in a restroom, but a store dressing room makes a good phone booth if the store is not crowded.

 

[Klayfish]

. Read the room. (JMHO)

You're so right. If only everyone actually knew how to do that...