# Lets list some stupid behaviors caused by cell phones. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 2, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134 "2014-04-02T02:20:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/61 "2014-04-03T13:03:55Z")
No one memorizes phone numbers anymore. ---
**Author:** ![bahimes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bahimes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahimes)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/62 "2014-04-03T13:46:52Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > Yes, you’ve got it. When you don’t want to talk to anybody else at the moment the easiest way to do that is to look busy. … > Yet I don’t see anybody complaining about a person burying their face in a magazine on the bus to avoid talking to strangers! > > I’d say that doing this sort of thing is the opposite of activity for my brain. How is reading something (on your phone) more of an activity than people-watching? No one seems to have picked up on this. When one is reading a book or magazine (or Kindle, etc.), one is not including everyone in the damned car. And most readers on public transportation are at least aware of their surroundings. Yesterday, on my way home, a woman was on the car when I boarded, talking loudly and with animation. She was still going 5 stops later, when I heard “Shit! I missed my stop!” But continued with the conversation as if it had nothing to do with her predicament. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/63 "2014-04-03T14:02:05Z")
What’s wrong with people memorizing less things now It’s an unimportant obsolete skill in the future ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/64 "2014-04-03T14:28:55Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Because driving down the PCH, with the windows open and the stereo turned up was one of the things I looked forward to most on that road trip–impossible when the person in the passenger seat is arguing with a customer service rep. (I couldn’t even open \*my \*window because it made it too hard for her to hear) I love my friend dearly, but I go on vacation to get away from that kind of stuff. Agree with you completely. I’m amazed no one has yet mentioned the new-found panic that people get into when you _Gasp_ **DON’T ANSWER YOUR CELL PHONE!?!?!** Clearly if you aren’t answering it is because you are dead. There is no conceivable situation in which someone might want to have a moment without answering. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/65 "2014-04-03T14:31:46Z")
I’m a little surprised with the posters who say that they have poor voice quality on their cell phones. Mine is pretty good, almost as good as with a landline. We even dropped our landline four or five years ago since the cell phones were good enough for what we needed. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/66 "2014-04-03T14:50:17Z")
> [@AnthonyElite](#): > > Agree with you completely. > > I’m amazed no one has yet mentioned the new-found panic that people get into when you _Gasp_ **DON’T ANSWER YOUR CELL PHONE!?!?!** Clearly if you aren’t answering it is because you are dead. There is no conceivable situation in which someone might want to have a moment without answering. Are we married to the same woman? She will call 5 times in 10 minutes. When I call back, guess what the first thing out of her mouth usually is? 3 guesses: 1. She goes directly into the Very Important Thing that caused her to call 5 times in 10 minutes. 2. She asks me to call back because “I don’t have time to talk right now.” 3. She asks “What’s up with your phone? Why don’t you have it?” and so on, so that you’re wondering if the purpose of the original call was so she can ask about the phone. If you chose option “1”, you have chosen poorly. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/67 "2014-04-03T14:58:50Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > \ > Most people are capable of multi-tasking, as this shows. \ That’s a common misperception; no one can multi-task. What we do is task-switching, which results in reduced attention and effectiveness for everything you’re trying to do at the same time. This doesn’t matter much when it’s just a couple of conversations, but it becomes extremely important when you’re doing something that demands your full attention like driving. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/68 "2014-04-03T15:05:06Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That’s a common misperception; no one can multi-task. What we do is task-switching, which results in reduced attention and effectiveness for everything you’re trying to do at the same time. This is why I have multiple phones. That way I’m not task-switching I’m just phone-switching. ---
**Author:** ![delsina363](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@delsina363](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delsina363)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/69 "2014-04-03T15:32:32Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > She ever eat anything which she had no business being allergic to and got sick anyway, or anything that should have made her sick but didn’t? And you couldn’t remember which? I am not quite sure why you would ask me about my daughters health in regards to a cell phone. But, whatever… She is allergic to peanuts. I found this out the hard way when she was around 2 years old. Since then, I have had her tested a couple of times to see if she may have somehow “out grew” this allergy. The last testing was done around a year and a half ago. She is still allergic to peanuts. I had her tested for other foods and nuts, and she was o.k. with those. I always, always read the food labels. My kids are lucky, I can never purchase cheep cookies or snacks for them. I always have to buy an expensive brand because of peanuts. I wish she was allergic to her cell phone! She is constantly on it. I sometimes take it away if I feel she has been on to long. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/70 "2014-04-03T15:39:55Z")
Skywalker is assuming that his experiences are universal and any deviation from what he considers “normal” to be sub-optimal. His post was a dig at you for apparently not remembering what your daughter is allergic to. Of course, why he can’t be glad that a child with allergies is being supported by a piece of technology which helps ensure she won’t accidentally get sick… that is beyond me. But apparently it irritates him that you would make a call while shopping, and you should be a better mother and be aware of all things at all times, remember everything, and most importantly, stop irritating other people with your pesky need for timely information. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/71 "2014-04-03T15:45:51Z")
Years ago you could encounter attractive people of your gender of preference, in stores, art galleries, parks, etc., and strike up conversations. For some reason, smokers were extra available for this. Forget that now. It’s like that old Soviet joke “today we can order steak dinners over the phone and receive them over the TV.” We meet people on the computer and have relationships with them on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/72 "2014-04-03T16:14:28Z")
> [@delsina363](#): > > I am not quite sure why you would ask me about my daughters health in regards to a cell phone. But, whatever… > > She is allergic to peanuts. I found this out the hard way when she was around 2 years old. Since then, I have had her tested a couple of times to see if she may have somehow “out grew” this allergy. The last testing was done around a year and a half ago. She is still allergic to peanuts. I had her tested for other foods and nuts, and she was o.k. with those. Just peanuts? Then [several food allergies](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17251267&postcount=2) doesn’t apply, right? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/73 "2014-04-03T16:14:28Z")
> [@Caffeine.addict](#): > > I’m a little surprised with the posters who say that they have poor voice quality on their cell phones. Mine is pretty good, almost as good as with a landline. We even dropped our landline four or five years ago since the cell phones were good enough for what we needed. I think a lot depends on where you live. I can use my cell phone at home, but I have to be pretty desperate to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/74 "2014-04-03T16:26:34Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Skywalker is assuming that his experiences are universal and any deviation from what he considers “normal” to be sub-optimal. His post was a dig at you for apparently not remembering what your daughter is allergic to. > > Of course, why he can’t be glad that a child with allergies is being supported by a piece of technology which helps ensure she won’t accidentally get sick… that is beyond me. But apparently it irritates him that you would make a call while shopping, and you should be a better mother and be aware of all things at all times, remember everything, and most importantly, stop irritating other people with your pesky need for timely information. I think you have me confused with the OP. My SO is allergic to corn, squash, citrus, coconut, and possibly some other things that I don’t recall at the moment. She recently got sick from jars of pasta sauce that had never triggered a reaction before. Given that she also got sick from something baked in a bit of olive oil, which had also never triggered a reaction before, we’re guessing she’s now allergic to olive oil. She typically either goes to the grocer herself or we go together but if I’m by myself with a phone and can’t remember what not to get, of course I’m going to call! ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/75 "2014-04-03T22:12:53Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That’s a common misperception; no one can multi-task. What we do is task-switching, which results in reduced attention and effectiveness for everything you’re trying to do at the same time. This doesn’t matter much when it’s just a couple of conversations, but it becomes extremely important when you’re doing something that demands your full attention like driving. Very good point, I wasn’t at all suggesting that people should drive whilst using a phone, but rather that my checking Facebook or whatever doesn’t mean I’m ignoring you. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/76 "2014-04-04T01:25:41Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I think a lot depends on where you live. I can use my cell phone at home, but I have to be pretty desperate to do so. It does depend on how close you are to a cell tower, but it also matters whether you have a high-end or low-end phone. Sound quality and reception tend to be better in cheaper phones than in the smartphones because the smartphones are crammed full of cameras and gps and ram and so forth so you can take a picture of yourself playing angry pigeons and posting it on facebook while some voice pipes up to tell you what the weather is like in Ankara, Turkey as you roar up and down the street in your military suprlus assault vehicle, unable to tell the difference between a coke can in the road and other people’s children. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/77 "2014-04-04T04:03:21Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Very good point, I wasn’t at all suggesting that people should drive whilst using a phone, but rather that my checking Facebook or whatever doesn’t mean I’m ignoring you. True dat. I frequently surf while watching tv - half my brain seems to be all that most tv requires. 🙂 > [@Barking\_Dog](#): > > \ so you can take a picture of yourself playing angry pigeons and posting it on facebook while some voice pipes up to tell you what the weather is like in Ankara, Turkey as you roar up and down the street in your military suprlus assault vehicle, unable to tell the difference between a coke can in the road and other people’s children. I see you’ve driven in Calgary. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/78 "2014-04-04T04:32:42Z")
People making lists about things they hate about cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![Mind\_Your\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Mind\_Your\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mind_Your_Head)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/79 "2014-04-04T13:03:43Z")
Just yesterday in Dover, Kent a teenage girl tried to climb down a drain [to retrieve her iphone](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-26878349) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134/80 "2014-04-04T14:10:35Z")
They’ve turned an entire generation or more into thirteen year old girls with their first princess phones. So much to say, can’t put it down, ‘But Mom! You don’t understand!..’ Straight up attention seeking behaviour like a fifteen year old with his first case of beer, and everybody better notice, so I’ll talk inappropriately loud, and prance around, till everybody sees what I have! Basically free rein attention whoring, by people old enough to have the self awareness to not have such immature behaviours. No one wants to hear you conduct your stupid affairs in public! And everyone knows you don’t ‘need’ to do that in public, that you’re not that busy. People are embarrassed for you! And think that you’re just an attention whoring douchebag that only cares about themselves. (God that felt good! I never say these things to people, but it always think it!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-some-stupid-behaviors-caused-by-cell-phones/685134.md?page=5)