Cell phones are destroying conversation. You’d think the flood of free minutes and the sheer joy of prattling on about the inane events in our lives would enhance conversation. But somehow this craving for instant communication damages the quality of conversation.
Cell Phone Rant
By Mark Worcester
For example:
I was driving to the store recently and a young professional man stopped me to ask a question. And while I was answering the question, his cell phone rang. I was still talking when he looked away from me and flipped open his cell phone, starting a new conversation.
I’m not sure what was worse-the fact that this young man blatantly ignored me to answer the call or the jolting-loud Ricky Martin melody that served as his “personal” ring. But here’s a lesson in conversational etiquette anyway: If you ask me a question and I am politely answering your question, stop living La Vida Loca long enough to hear my answer.
So I was growing annoyed, yet I seemed to have no choice but to wait and listen to this rude guy’s conversation. Oh, sure, the fellow tried to speak softly enough so I couldn’t hear, cupping his hand near the phone, but at one point he glanced at me and whispered something into the phone that sounded like “he’s a jerk.”
“Excuse me! I don’t mean to interrupt your interruption of me, but did you just tell someone that I’m a jerk?” I said as my outrage grew. “Oh no,” he offered innocently, “I was just telling my girlfriend that I’m getting tired of work.”
I was skeptical, but still annoyed as he returned to his phone conversation in muffled tones. Then it happened again. His glance my way. His muted but distinct use of the term jerk. This was unbelievable! I was sitting in my car, waiting for this guy who stopped me to ask me a question, and then he was insulting me to his girlfriend!?
“Alright, that’s it!” I blurted. “You just did it again. You called me a jerk!” He was not impressed as he put his hand over the cell phone and spoke sternly back at me, “I did not call you that, sir. Now just get off your high horse and I’ll be with you in moment.”
This is what cell phones have done to communication. The constant interruptions and distractions that they bring have dulled our senses to polite interaction. We’ve stopped listening to each other, as we demand shorter and shorter conversations with less and less substance. We no longer look people in the eye for more than three seconds. We’ve forgotten that being sincere requires actual sincerity, not merely the offer to set up a three-way conference call. Rudeness is taken for granted. Misunderstanding runs rampant.
Something about this rude young man’s tone just set me off. So authoritarian and so rude. “I know you called me a jerk!” I nearly shouted. “And you just tell your girlfriend there that she’s dating a first class jerk!”
Well that pretty much ended the guy’s phone conversation. And can you believe it? He went ahead and wrote me a ticket for speeding… even though I had been trying to tell the etiquette-challenged policeman that while minding the speed limit, I was only momentarily distracted by checking my voice mail. Damn cell phones! <<<
Mark Worcester
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