Walkie-Talkie Cell Phones: What’s the Point?
Have you ever seen someone using one of those walkie-talkie cell phones? Instead of holding the phone up to their ear, the user will hold it about a foot in front of their mouth and yell into it. They use the phones more like a walkie-talkie than an actual cell phone, hence the name.
One question comes to mind whenever I see someone using one of these walkie-talkie cell phones: Why?
What is the point of using a cell phone like a walkie-talkie? There seems to be no benefit for anyone involved, and yet people continue to purchase and use these products everywhere you go.
Let’s start with the user. Is it easier to hold a phone a foot in front of your face than to hold it up to your ear? Of course not. I’m no physical trainer, but I know that it takes more energy to extend a phone outward from your face and hold it in mid-air than it does to rest it against the side of your head. Heck, that’s not even biology; it’s just common sense. And then people have to yell into the walkie-talkie phone, since it’s so far away from their mouth and all. So instead of talking, you’re now forced to yell. What is the benefit there?
Or look at it from the side of the person on the other end of the phone. Instead of having a pleasant conversation, you are now experiencing a person screaming at you, barking orders like an Army drill sergeant, all because they couldn’t be bothered to hold a phone up to their ear. Does that increase the cell phone experience, by having someone yell at you? Of course it doesn’t.
Finally, look at it from the point of view of a person nearby. People on cell phones are annoying enough when they’re using them regularly. Now you’ve got a guy yelling into a walkie-talkie. Why?
You see, there is clearly no benefit to using a walkie-talkie function on a cell phone. If you want to yell into a walkie-talkie, you should go out and buy a set of walkie-talkies, and give one to the person you’re currently yelling at. Why beat around the bush? Just get the real deal instead. If I saw a guy talking on a walkie-talkie in public, I would assume he’s somebody important, otherwise, why would he own a walkie-talkie? But when I see someone talking into a cell phone like it were a walkie-talkie, all I can think is that the guy is trying to look cool (and failing massively).
Cell phone etiquette is at an all-time low. People are talking loudly in public, they’re blasting their Kyocera ringtones, and they’re ignoring others in favor of their phone. Please don’t make it even worse by pretending your cell phone is a walkie-talkie. If you’re going to spend the extra money, you might as well get an iPhone and iPhone ringtones instead. Then you’ll be technologically advanced and not annoying.
About the Author: Jason Gluckman is a freelance writer specializing in music, TV, entertainment, social issues, technology, cell phones and ringtones. He also works as a self-improvement expert, where one of his first lessons is not to use walkie-talkie cell phones.
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Print Article | Download PDF | 36 views | Apr 25 2008
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