CCC-Watch

Cell Yell (S.Anthony)

“Cell Yell” is a cool buzzword. Usually I think that cool buzzwords exist to do more than just describe something. There can be artistic or egoistic elements to a buzzword. It speaks to having an agenda!

When I read about American politics, I think that coined words and phrases tend to oversimplify some subject. I refer to Ann Coulter and Ted Rall as extreme examples. They often use English in a funny way. I am happy to read what they write as a non-native. They are so mean and funny. Still, buzzwords may have a disingenuous element to them.

“Cell yell” has beaten out “Yell phone” to describe one phenomenon. Cell phones are bad, it seems, because of words like these and the attitudes of the people who use them. Someone, who did not like the raised voices of people talking into their cellular phones, coined this word.

There is no word for a person who dies stranded in the desert or a mountain side because they had no cell phone. Remember the girl in the pit in the basement in The Silence of the Lambs? She should have had a cellular phone. Still, if buzzwords get people to be more aware of a condition then it is a good thing. I cannot help but think that cell-phone friendly

The problem of people speaking too loudly into their telephones is equivalent to the use of white, bleached toilet paper. It is not eco-friendly. Yet nobody would consider doing away with toilets, right? The focus should be on the people who are disturbed by noise pollution and how to make them happy.

Technology will improve with better microphones and people will not have to speak so loudly. This is surely coming. There can also be special no-noise or cell phone-friendly public spaces. Anthony found the best site for these: http://www.cellmanners.com/news/researchers.htm

In any case, it is an issue here in Japan, too, where manners and good ‘form’ are often mandated. In China, we do not speak much about this. So, beyond being the impetus for a slow-to-come tech advance, “cell yell” is a reflection of one’s culture.

Fun reading:

1> http://www.beckjord.com/nocellphoneshere/ A vigilante group!

2> http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/005083.htm Things move slowly in Japan because of deference to older generations.