Consider how Guernsey's article compares and contrasts to Christine Rosen's text "Our Cell Phones, Ourselves". Remember that a contrast seeks only differences, while a comparison seeks both similarities and differences. We will be performing this activity in our next class.
For your journal writing I would like you to do the following... and remember do not do anything overzealous! I want you to be detectives, yes, but responsible, courteous ones at that!
Thus, the prompt:
Observe people in a public space such as a shopping center, a subway station or platform, a park, or a busy street. Spend one-half to one-full hour taking notes on those individuals that use cellphones. Describe the users' appearance, gestures, tones of voice, volume of speaking, and anything else that seems interesting and important about their use of their phone.
I would like you to observe two (2) people during this activity, providing a paragraph-length description of each. Post your observations below by signing in and clicking "replies." And remember, have fun with this activity.
The first person I observed was an elderly woman on the subway. At first glance, she seemed to be a timid and quiet old woman, but then her cell phone rang... Unfortunately,I, along with everyone around her realized that this woman was hard of hearing, by the way she answered her phone. Her loud and disruptive ringtone, startled a young man, who had dozed off. The elderly woman was shouting into her phone to hear the voice of her caller. Meanwhile, there were people reading, napping, and carrying out their own conversations. She never thought to lower her voice or turn away from those sitting around her, which I found particularly rude. Luckily for me, it was a short ride!
ReplyDeleteThe second person I observed was a teenage girl, who seemed to be 16 or 17 years old. Unfortunately, I was the unlucky girl, who happened to be sitting right next to her on the bus. She received a phone call from a friend or a boyfriend, I assumed by the way she was flirting and laughing. Interestingly enough,I was able to listen in on tid- bits of the conversation, which I found somewhat entertaining. I may have stereotyped the teen to be more loud and obnoxious, but really it was the elderly woman fell into that category.
I was watching this lady on the bus she looked like she was about 30 maybe Late 20's talk in the phone through her headset. At first she was real quite and calm, but as time went on she gradually increased in volume. She was so into her conversation to notice that people, including me were looking at her. Not only was she being rude to the people around her but she was rude to the old lady she should have gave her seat up for.
ReplyDeleteAnother person I watched was a teenager. I usually have my headphones in but for the sake of the task I took my headphones out to listen to his conversation. From what I herd he was talking to a friend and found out another person maybe girlfriend or best friend participated in shocking activity. All I herd was "no way" , "oh my god" ,"and then what" it kind of made me wish that I knew what this person did.
On Friday morning on my way to class I was in the Q24 and i had my headphones on but then I saw a guy talking on the phone so I immediately took off my headphones and began to listen to the conversation. I kind of felt weird but I was also interested. So when I heard him talk I was simply confused this guy had a thick accent and kept talking like half English and half I don’t know what. And then he began to talk really loud and I know I was bothered, and I can see from the other passengers face that they were too. Well it was 9 in the morning. But I kind of was disappointed because part of me wanted to understand what was going on, but I was lost in translation.
ReplyDeleteAnother person I observed was when I was at work. This girl who was in her late 20s came into my father’s grocery store screaming into the phone, with her baby while getting her groceries. I was simply in awe. She was arguing that her baby daddy doesn’t give her money. But I was just amazed how she was cursing right in front of her 2 year old baby boy. She had no respect for her son. It was simply rude. I was pissed and rang her up quickly so she can leave.
Friday night while my mother picked up some things at CVS I decided to sit in the back. I sat next to a Hispanic woman, and I was automatically greeted with a smile. This lady most likely in her forties with her son who I believe is around six years old. A few moments passed when I heard her cell phone ring. I began to observe how her conversation went. At first she spoke English very calmly asking the person on the other end different questions. But as the conversation progressed she started speaking Spanish and I realized the tone in her voice had changed. She went from being calm to angry. Since I couldn’t understand I started watching how her son was behaving differently now that his mother wasn’t as focused on him. He began to jump, and run around the small area. As his mother’s tone increased his behavior became worse. I was shocked that she was so into her conversation that she wasn’t paying any attention to her son who was right in front of her but gave more attention to someone who could have been miles away.
ReplyDeleteThis evening while I was at the YMCA I was surprised to observe a woman most likely in her late twenties early thirties answer her cell phone while on a treadmill. At first working out next to her I figured she’d quickly answer the call and hang up. But to my surprise she remained on the phone. Since she didn’t hang up I started to observe her, and the people around me. At first she spoke in a low voice, about picking up McDonalds for her son. But as the conversation progressed it felt as if she had forgotten she was in a room filled with complete strangers. Her voice got louder and it was clear that everyone could hear her conversation. The more she spoke the more personal and inappropriate her conversation became. The lady next to me looked at me with wide eyes also shocked at what she was hearing. At first her conversation didn’t bother me, but as it became more personal I felt as if she shouldn’t have discussed what she did in a public space.
Yesterday I went out to the city with my friends, and jumped on the Q111. I sat down, and some lady decides to sit next to me. Within two minutes she pops out her cell phone, and begins talking. Her 1st conversation seemed depressing; it involved death, and depressing subjects. Then she received another call and she begins screaming at the top of her lungs. She screams, “YOU DON’T KNOW ME RON!” Everyone on the bus turns and looks at her like she lost her mind. The lady continued her conversation anyway after that outburst, and showed no regard for her others. The bus was silent, and she was the only one speaking at the top of her lungs. I put my iPod headphones in and turned up the music, but it was working, I needed a way out. As the bus ride went along she continued speaking loudly. Her conversation ranged from food, to her boyfriend, her child, and even her laundry. By the power of God she finally got off and peace returned.
ReplyDeleteWhile on my way home I waited for my bus to take me home and the next person I observed was the bus driver. It was getting dark, and the driver pulled up and stopped the bus and started talking on his cell phone. He opened his phone, and began talking. He immediately started laughing and flirting over his phone. He laughed so hard he took his foot off the brake and slammed on it again causing some people to almost fall. Someone started to complain and the bus driver drove the bus while on his cell phone, which is against the law. My stop came up and I finally got off.
I was on my way to 8:00 class when this woman made a call on the L train. She was talking to a construction worker who was currently working on her house.This woman looked like she was in her 40's, she was a heavy set woman who didn't keep her self well groomed and she had a heavy west Indian accent. She kept telling the man that he wouldn't get payed if he didn't do what she said and she never looked up to notice that she had every one's attention.Thankfully the train went under ground when she sucked her teeth and saw that everyone was looking at her in disgust.
ReplyDeleteThe second person was actually me. When I picked up my phone while on the j train and I started to talk to my friend. I forgot that I still had my headphones in my other ear. Even though I was trying to keep my voice down, when I looked around I noticed that people were looking at me and I asked my friend if I was speaking loud. She told me I was clear but not that loud, and then I remembered about the article from class. I took out my head phone and lowered my voice.
the first person i observed was on Saturday, I was on the lirr on my way to the city with my friend when this girl came and sat in front of us, when she sat down I saw that she was talking at first i thought that she might be talking to me or my friend so I took of my headphones but then I realized that she was not she had a Bluetooth and was the phone, so I just listening to her conversation and I was so surprised she sounded like a little teenager and she was like 25 maybe 26 and the conversation she was having was so childish that I wanted to laugh but the part that bothered me the most was that she was so loud and that she moved a lot when she talked she literally woke my friend who was sound asleep, my friend asked politely if she could quite it down a bit and stop moving around so much because she kicked her the girl gave her this nasty stare like she was saying who do you think you are, at the end the end the girl ended up getting up and changing seats.
ReplyDeleteThe second person I observed was in central park, was guy about 19 and he was outside the marry go round talking on the phone, he was very charming to the person who was on the other side of the line, he was calm and nice and it looked like he listened to what the other person had to say, but then something happened he just blew he started screaming and cursing into the phone like their where no people around especially little kids I was so stunned about the change I really wanted to know what the person on the other line said to make him so angry and upset.
On Friday afternoon, I went to Green Acres Mall and sat on a bench looking for someone to observe. The first person that I observed was a man who sat across from me and appeared to be in his thirties. The man seemed serious and looked almost concerned as he talked on his cellphone. I could not hear exactly what he was saying because the mall was loud and it was as if he was whispering. He started making hand gestures as if he was in a business meeting. After a while, I got bored and decided to observe someone else when the man got up quickly and burst out laughing. I appeared to be the only one who noticed this because everyone else just kept walking and ignored him. He sat back down and continued his conversation in a normal tone, but I was done observing him.
ReplyDeleteI went to a different part of the mall and sat on another bench and waited for someone else to observe. Almost as soon as I sat down, a woman who appeared to be in her forties sat next to me. She was on her cellphone as she sat down next to me and was very talkative. She kept talking about her newly decorated living room and other plans she had about improving her house. Her voice got louder and louder as she spoke and she almost started jumping. Then, I think she forgot that I was sitting next to her because she jumped a little bit higher and almost elbowed me in the face. For my own safety, I got up and went to another part of the mall.
The first person I observed was a woman at a bus. She was a middle aged woman and she had a friend that accompanied her. This lady was speaking very loudly into her phone. I don't think she realized that she didn't have to speak so loudly. Her friend kept telling her to tone it down. She agreed to be quiet but eventually kept getting loud. I think everyone was annoyed by this woman. Her conversation wasn't anything too personal, I think she was talking to a baby-sitter but she should have kept her voice down.
ReplyDeleteThe second person I noticed was a young woman at my nephews christening. I'm watching this person typing something on their cell phone while the pastor was giving his sermon. I felt it was disrespectfull to the pastor, my nephew, my sister and everyone else who was there. The young woman continued using her phone at reception afterwards also. When I walked near her I looked at her phone to see what she was doing and she was on Twitter.
Firstly, I would just like to say that I was started observing people using their cell phones right after I read the article by Christine Rosen. One of the many people I observed was a teenager or a young adult. This person was sitting on the bus, in a seat across from me. She was a very quite girl and was studying something all of a sudden her phone began ringing; she took it out of her pocket and shut the call off. Her phone began ringing again, and yet again she turned the call off, but the third time the phone rang, she picked it up. She picked the phone up and started talking in it, in a very low voice, with her hand on her mouth and her phone, covering it from sight. I think this was the first time I’ve seen a person do that and what shocked me was that it was a teenager. The conversation lasted for about 15-20 mins, throughout the 15-20 mins, she didn’t even remove her hand from covering the phone. This conversation proved that there is still hope for this world.
ReplyDeleteThe next person I observed was on the bus at 7am in the morning. The man boarded the bus with the phone to his ear and once he took his seat, he started his conversation. It was a middle aged Spanish man, who looked like he was going to work. The man was speaking so loud on the phone, that all the people turned around at least once and grilled the man. The worst part about this man was the fact that he was talking in Spanish. I don’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but he woke everybody on the us up, and would’ve done so too if he was speaking in English. Maybe he was speaking to someone out of the U.S. and thought that if he screamed on the phone, the person on the other side of the conversation would hear him. The man kept talking and talking not even caring about the people around him trying to study, read, take a nap, etc. Even when getting off the bus, he continued talking and talking. This made me think, would an English speaker talk that loud on the phone? Because he was speaking Spanish, I think he thought that nobody understood him so it was alright, whereas if an English speaker were to do that, everybody would hear him and understand him.
Working at a supermarket I observe a lot of people using their cell phones. I observed a lady in a heated argument with a roommate. She began yelling and pacing back and forth down the aisle and her tone kept escalating without concern of her surroundings. As the conversation went on she began handling the groceries roughly, throwing them in the cart and picking up items she didn’t want. Other customers starred at her as she threw hands around in an angry manner. Then she knocked down her spouse attempting to get out of the store and continue the argument. After she was done with the conversation she came back into the store and as if nothing happened and continued with her grocery shopping.
ReplyDeleteOn that same day I observed one of the other cashiers using her cell phone. The phone was in her pocket until she received a message and took it out. While replying to the text message a customer came to the register and started putting their groceries on the conveyor belt. After he was done unloading his food she was just finishing her text, and put the phone back in her pocket. She then proceeded to ring up his groceries and cash him out. When he received his change he noticed that he was missing ten dollars and confronted the cashier. When he asked her about it I noticed that she gave him an attitude, corrected herself, then gave him the money.
Syeda said on September 18 at 11:07 PM:
ReplyDeleteFirst Person Observed:
While I was eating in a food court at the mall, I noticed a young man on his cell phone. He was dressed casually in a black t-shirt and blue baggy jeans. He had sunglasses on, despite us being indoors. He came and sat on the table beside me and was already busy talking on his phone. I noticed that he had many hand gestures while he spoke, as if the person (he spoke with) was in front of him. His voice was apprehensive as he spoke. He nervously asked, “Do you think she feels the same way about me?” His tone of voice was soft and I was able to hear the eagerness in it. After a few seconds I heard him ask, “Well, do you still speak to her?” As he was engaged in his conversation, I noticed something. The confidence that he portrayed in person was lacking as he spoke on the phone. If I didn’t observe him on his phone, I would have thought of him as a very confident young man.
Second Person Observed:
The other person I observed was near a gas station. He was the manager of an auto repair shop. He was dressed in uniform with the title “manager” as his name tag. He seemed irritated while he was talking on his phone. He was complaining to the person he spoke with. I noticed several things as he spoke. One of them being that he had an accent and his English was not too good. However he was able to get his point across to the other person. He spoke loudly into his phone. He was loud enough so the people around him could clearly understand what he was saying. He was hardly satisfied as he hung up his phone without a “goodbye.” After he hung up, he shook his head in dismay and went back into his workshop.
While I observed these two cell phone users, it occurred to me that this new technology is a part of us now. Cell phones can bring out our best or worst traits since we are not talking in person. As for the first person, he seemed so nervous asking if the girl still liked him. He seemed just as nervous on the phone as he would have been if the girl were to be in front of him. For the second person I observed, I saw his anger and frustration as he talked on the phone. We depend on cell phones for just about everything and they help us be more comfortable in a conversation since it is not face to face.
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ReplyDeleteI was on my way home at around 2:30 when this woman made a call on the Q54 bus. She was talking apparently to a family member who was going through a divorce in her life. This woman appeared to be in her late 30’s and was very well dressed. I assumed she worked at some kind of clinic or doctor’s office since she had her uniform on. She seemed she was Hispanic since she had the look, the accent and especially she spoke Spanish. Well she keep telling the other person on the other line that she had to fight for what she wanted and that she could give up easily. She could let her ex-husband get what he wants and that she suffered too much with him. Unfortunately she was speaking so loud and yelling through the phone that the whole bus had her attention at her and they couldn’t mind to hear. Thankfully she noticed and she lowered her voice a few levels down and she went to sit in the back of the bus, I guess she was kind of embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteThe second person was a man in the M train in the Metropolitan Train Station. So a couple of people including myself were waiting for the train to be clean and to leave the station. After the train was clean we a boarded the train and suddenly a man in his early 40’s of African descent walked in yelling through his phone. It was obvious he was arguing with his wife over their child’s manners and behavior because he kept say “you are not treating my son right, you give him everything and guess who gives you the money….” and other things. The whole attention on the train went towards him due to his loudness. Unfortunately, this lady got so aggravated that she got up and moved to the next cart. It seem that the man had forgotten that he was at a public place where people don’t want to know what your business is and only want some kind of peace and quiet after a long day of work. Well it seemed that he didn’t noticed his attitude because he continued to talk this way until I reached my stop at Seneca Ave. Station and who knows what happened further on.
First person :Sunday while i was on line at the myrtle and wycoff festival to buy some cute accessories. A very short with really long hair and a very around face,she must have been a south America woman ( Mexican or Ecuadorian ) was having a argument with her ex husband in Spanish about there children's . she kept telling him how she didn't want him to see the kids or even talk to them . Her voice went from loud to screaming then all of her anger turn to tears. i felt bad because she looked at me crying and then she started begging him not to take her to court because he doesn't deserve to see her kids. Then she hanged up and made another phone call and i over heard that she was saying that she didn't have her green card so she was scared that if he took her to court she was going to get deported . but i notice how before saying the last part she was whispering it and was looking around to see if there where police man around there. i was just surprise how i found out one of this stranger secrets .
ReplyDeleteSecond person;So today while i was on the M train on my way home from queens center mall. there was a 12 year old Hispanic girl who was talking on the phone with her best friend.She was so excited and nervous because she just had got it her fist kiss with her crush Joseph , i couldn't help it over hearing and laughing .It was the most adorable thing ever . She said how she was shaking and she had to tipie toe for him. And how the kiss was perfect and how she picture it .While she was telling her friend all of the details of got happen today it brought me a flash back of when i had my first kiss and i called my best friend, it was crazy i saw myself on that little girl and i looked at her and she looked at me and we both smile. and is incredible how we can find out things from strangers a related to our self.
Well yesterday as I came from school in the J train. I saw this lady which looked really professional im guessing she was a teacher or something like that . she was talking kind of loud into her phone about planning a trip to washington DC and as soon as she realize that I was looking at her.she covered her mouth and lowered her voice.I notice she felt kind of uncofortable.
ReplyDeleteThere was another similar situation but it was on the dentist. As i waited my turn to be called , there was this woman with three kids next to her.As she came closer to the office ,peoples faces were turning back and the whispered were everywhere.She called the attention of everybody there ,as she talked in the phone in a loudly way.She didnt seem to cared and keep on talking about the address of the dentist.Hopefully she knew where she was at , also when the secretary called her ,she didnt took a break and keep talking in the phone and to the secretary at the same time and I founded really disrepecful.
The first person i observed was a teenage guy sitting next to me in the bus.he was talking to his mom.he seems really happy and was like"omg mom i cant believe you will be in NY in two days."i feel like he was away from his mom since a long time because he was keep saying "its along time i didnt see you mom."he was really overjoyed.he was sharing his chilhood memories,his school days and much more but when he start talking about his dad he get really upset.he misses his late dad alot he told to his mom.i feel really happy about his mom news coming to NY after listening his cute conversation.
ReplyDeleteThe other person i observed was on the bus stop.she was a preety tall girl engaged on her cell phone.on the otherside its her bf and they were having some argument.the girl was keep telling him to tell his parents about their relationship but the bf keeps denying.gradually the girl gets mad and she almost start yelling.she even threaten him that if he cant tell his parents so its better to finish the relationship.the guy on otherside was try to explain her but she at once hang up the phone.and at last after denying three to four his calls she shut down the phone.
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ReplyDeleteThe first person I observed was when I waiting on line at the bank for the next teller to help me. It was a Hispanic lady with her son around 4 or 5 years of age. The lady was on the cell phone and her son was playing in the line going up and down. The lady was to busy into her cell phone conversation to even see what her son was doing. By the looks and sound of her tone of voice she was arguing with someone. Everyone that was behind and in front was able to listen to her. By the time she was next in line for the teller to help her and she was still on her cell phone talking. All I was saying in my head (People can be so rude).
ReplyDeleteThe second person I saw on a cell phone was man on the bus; around his 40s.And I was able to over hear some of his conversation. I’m guessing he was talking to his girlfriend or wife because he was all lovey dovey. And he was telling her that he was on the bus on his way to Boston for a business trip, just for the weekend.
What a liar! He was still in NY on the BX7 bus.