# Kids these days - new way to talk on the cell phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366 "2018-04-13T20:59:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/1 "2018-04-13T20:59:28Z")
So, this is something I see with increasing frequency - people talking on their cell phones by holding them 3 inches in front of their mouth, usually at about a 30 degree angle, and using the speaker to hear (or not). What gives? Is there some compelling reason that they don’t hold them up to their ears (like normal, like you’re supposed to)? For what it’s worth, it seems to be very prevalent in the African American community. Is this just a new meaningless trend, or what what? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/2 "2018-04-13T21:01:03Z")
It’s been like this for a while (as least from my observations). I guess it’s a way to not have to jam a phone up to your ear and therefore slightly more comfortable? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/3 "2018-04-13T21:01:58Z")
My husband prefers using the speaker function because it prevents accidentally bumping the phone and hanging up inadvertently. He’s white and 61, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/4 "2018-04-13T21:03:05Z")
I have always always always seen this done on reality shows. I assumed it was in the “actors” contracts to do it that way so the cameras could hear both sides of the conversation. When I see people doing this in public I assume they’re just trying to be Kardashian-ish (I saw this more on Real Housewives, I don’t watch KUWTK but I know they do it). Or they’re trying to avoid getting their phone covered in makeup. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/5 "2018-04-13T21:04:11Z")
I’ve seen kids do this, I’ve seen adults do this. I haven’t paid much attention to race, but as the communities I frequent are majority white, it seems pretty prevalent there too. I’d agree with the poster above in that it is a comfort thing. If you hold a phone up to your ear for a while, it start to sweat. I’d think that the smart phones, with their large glass and unbreathing screens, as well as the heat that the electronics dissipate have something to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/6 "2018-04-13T21:08:47Z")
Oh, I have seen this for a while. Kids today havn’t had the original phone handset. But, funny thing, my grandmother used the classic phone handset like people do with cell phones. She would hold the phone in front of of her face and holler into it and then hold it up to her ear and listen, bring the mouthpiece around again and holler. It was hilarious. I think the latest cell phone trend is just how these kids do it. They probably have the speaker on loud anyway from listening to music. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/7 "2018-04-13T21:19:13Z")
I rarely see my teen actually using her phone to verbally talk to anyone. It’s texting and messaging for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/8 "2018-04-13T21:22:42Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > If you hold a phone up to your ear for a while, it start to sweat. I’d think that the smart phones, with their large glass and unbreathing screens, as well as the heat that the electronics dissipate have something to do with it. Maybe they should bring back side-talking phones like [the Nokia N-Gage](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=LR_RWs7LM6uXjwTc0r_oAw&q=nokia+n-gage+side&oq=nokia+n-gage+side&gs_l=psy-ab.3...10940.13827.0.14111.5.5.0.0.0.0.1881.1881.8-1.1.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..4.1.1880...0i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.d-Uk0FzI-qQ). ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/9 "2018-04-13T23:20:37Z")
Maybe it’s fear of radiation/brain cancer or something. All I know is when they do it on the train, it pisses me off. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/10 "2018-04-13T23:46:49Z")
My hubs does this and he is old. It’s because he can’t hear the regular way. I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/11 "2018-04-13T23:58:13Z")
I’m in my fifties and I do this. Agree that holding it to my ear is less comfortable, partly because of sweating. Holding it in front also allows me to use both ears, which is helpful because I have some bilateral hearing loss. I guess I’d also point out that “clamped to one ear” is a thing only because that was designed for earlier non speaker phones. Now that we have a very different setup, why should we expect to hold he phone the same old way? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/12 "2018-04-14T00:05:48Z")
I’m old and use my iPhone like you would an old-fashioned landline handset. As others said, the screen gets sweaty. But I’ve also, on occasion, accidentally muted the phone with my ear while talking. So this new approach has its advantages. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/13 "2018-04-14T00:42:09Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I’m in my fifties and I do this. Agree that holding it to my ear is less comfortable, partly because of sweating. Holding it in front also allows me to use both ears, which is helpful because I have some bilateral hearing loss. > > I guess I’d also point out that “clamped to one ear” is a thing only because that was designed for earlier non speaker phones. Now that we have a very different setup, why should we expect to hold he phone the same old way? Uh, to get some semblance of privacy for the person you’re talking to, and less annoyance to others? Also, speakerphone sounds horrible and creates a kind of half-duplex effect. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/14 "2018-04-14T01:07:12Z")
This is so they can read incoming texts while they’re talking. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/15 "2018-04-14T01:59:15Z")
It’s been going on for awhile. Not sure why, but there was at least one widely published recommendation to hold the phone away from your brain to reduce potential cancer risk. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/16 "2018-04-14T03:29:38Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Uh, to get some semblance of privacy for the person you’re talking to, and less annoyance to others? Also, speakerphone sounds horrible and creates a kind of half-duplex effect. Uh, well, context matters, and if I’m in a public place and talking to my friend who thinks she’s about to be fired, or to my cousin about his medical diagnosis, I’m not going to be using speakerphone. For that matter, I’d try not to have those conversations in a public place at all. But if I’m on my own, yes, I’ll use the speaker feature, thanks. And as for annoying, you’d have to convince me that hearing a whole conversation is more annoying than hearing just my half of it. My wife often talks on the phone in my presence, sometimes on speaker, sometimes not, and I don’t find either especially annoying—or any more annoying than if she’s having a real life conversation where I can hear. Your mileage obviously varies. And while I, uh, hear you loud and clear that you dislike the sound of speaker phones, surely that is in the eye of the beholder, I mean the ear of the listener? ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/17 "2018-04-14T03:41:48Z")
I posted about this in “Pet Peeves That Only You Have” the other day. It annoys the piss out of me. I don’t understand the reasoning behind it, unless they think its being “cool” or something. I’ve seen it everywhere, by every type of person and they are usually in their teens or early twenties. I don’t understand it, I just think its pompous and annoying, it’s not like your hands are full! It’s always conversations about how many beers were pounded, a tv show, talking shit about someone else or how good the weed was. That being said its not a recent thing, I’ve been seeing it for years. Still can’t get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/18 "2018-04-14T03:42:52Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > This is so they can read incoming texts while they’re talking. _and_ driving 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/19 "2018-04-14T03:43:15Z")
I use the speaker when I’m making or answering a call with no-one else around. Otherwise I just use it like an old fashioned phone. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366/20 "2018-04-14T03:50:09Z")
I associate this with middle aged males who probably work as car salesmen or stockbrokers or something. And it’s been around for awhile, at least a decade. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-these-days-new-way-to-talk-on-the-cell-phone/812366.md?page=2)