Op-Ed: Use Your Headphones, People

Jamie Waters wants you to know the age of the public speakerphone is upon us, and he is not impressed. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Waters describes New Yorkers (and plenty of others) who now treat their phones like portable loudspeakers—blaring work calls, TikToks, and livestreams in cafes, on buses, and on planes. A 2025 survey from phone-number provider NumberBarn backs him up: 37% of Americans admit to using speakerphone in public, with nearly half of Gen Z doing so. New York ranked as the second-worst city for phone etiquette; Miami took the top spot.

Experts tell Waters there's more going on than just noise. MIT's Sherry Turkle says smartphones are trapping people in "asocial digital bubbles," while Brown University epidemiologist Erica Walker notes that "personal listening devices are supposed to be personal," making their public broadcasts especially grating. Some institutions are pushing back—British pub chain Wetherspoons has banned speakerphone use, and United Airlines says it can remove or even ban repeat offenders. For Waters' argument—and his suggested coping strategies—read the full piece in the Wall Street Journal.