Cell Yell: Thanks for (Not) Sharing

Jamielle Silvia

ENGL 0250-154

H. Susi

November 13, 2011

Cell Yell: Thanks for (Not) Sharing

            Eric A. Taub’s essay Cell Yell: Thanks for (Not) Sharing is about people and their conversations being over heard when talking on their cell phones. There was also a website made on the phenomenon about cell phone manners called “cellmanners.com.” This is a website created for cell yell haters. The main story is about a man getting ready to take off on a plane that starts a very loud conversation about his business, distracting all the other passengers on the plane leaving them no choice but to listen. Cell yell is becoming more common as technology is growing and new cell phones are created.

            Timo Kopomaa a social scientist at University of Technology says “Cell phones are so small that people trust them not to work.” I find this to be true because I see it happen all the time. My grandmother got a track phone and she speaks very loud into it thinking she needs to for people to hear her. I see it happen more with old people who are not used to the new technology. I think people just need to trust technology because I do not think they would sell it if it didn’t work. Also I think older people are just used to big phones and phone booths while making phone calls.

            Many people cannot help themselves but to listen to someone who is speaking very loud while talking on the phone. It is almost like they want you to pay attention to their conversation making them seem important. I also think that some people do not even realize they are doing it because they do it all the time. I see it happen all the time at work when I am trying to take their order on the speaker they sit there and finish their conversation before ordering leaving us no choice but to listen. I cannot help but listen when this happens because it is almost like they want you to hear them.

            Texting on cell phones has become more popular than an actual conversation in a phone call. I know that I am a big fan of texting because I can be somewhere and have multiple conversations with more than one person. The only thing that stinks about texting is you cannot hear the expression in their voice. I also feel like texting is more private leaving no one to hear or know what you are talking about. Texting may not be used enough but I believe it is because people do not know how to text. My mom would not text at all because she didn’t know how, but now that she knows how she texts all the time.

            I felt this essay was very interesting because I did not know what “cell yell” was until after I read it. I have seen people speak louder than needed but never knew there was a name for it. It is not easy to ignore someone speaking for the whole world to hear and I can understand why a website has been made about it. I feel like I talk very softly when I am on the phone because I do not want people to hear me.