Re:They're annoying because... (Score 2, Insightful)

I believe the reason most people talk louder on a cell phone is that they don't get the feedback they get on a landline phone. If you'll notice, when you talk on a regular landline phone, you can hear yourself in the earpiece; thus you have a chance to adjust the loudness of your voice. On a mobile phone, however, you can't hear yourself! Consequently, you don't realize how loud you're talking unless someone tells you. It seems to me that cell phone manufacturers could do something about this by either providing that feedback or by providing some kind of tone indicator so you might get a series of beeps if you're speaking loudly.