Stuck in the Screen: An Ethnomethodological Exploration of Public Smartphone Noise Disturbances

• In Event: 50403 - Conversation Analysis and Ethnomethodology: Context, Sequence, and Meaning in Interaction

Abstract

Drawing on over four months of ethnomethodological data collection, this study examines public smartphone noise in everyday life. Based on observations from hundreds of subway rides and extensive documentation across diverse urban and suburban environments—including New York City, Amsterdam, and Zürich—it identifies patterns of smartphone-driven noise disturbances, and theorizes the implicit norms shaping everyday public interactions with mobile devices. By categorizing smartphone noise into distinct categories (including video and music playback, pings, and speaker phone calls), the analysis reveals recurring patterns in out-loud phone usage. Additionally, this research explores the ways public smartphone noise may both disrupt and shape public behavioral norms, especially in heavy-traffic spaces like the New York City subway. Through better understanding the prevalence and patterns of public smartphone noise, we can more effectively navigate everyday life and technologically-mediated urban environments. This paper also engages with the implications of widespread out-loud phone usage, including the normalization of atomization and public disconnection.

Author

• Caitlin Begg, Authentic Social