Study reveals America’s biggest communication frustrations

Whether it’s the guy on the train who feels the need to share his entire music library at full blast, the lady in the store checking out while wearing headphones like it’s no big deal, or that friend who can’t seem to look up from their phone mid-conversation; communication frustrations are as prevalent as smartphones themselves. In fact, a staggering 70% of Americans admit they face these pet peeves at least once a week, according to a brand new survey of 2,000 people by Gameland.gg. But which of those modern-day habits really crank up the frustration dial faster than a loud public phone call?

Some of the findings:

• Talking on speakerphone in public places ranks as the number one pet peeve when it comes to communication habits
• 70% of Americans say they face these communication frustrations at least weekly
• A notable 53% of Americans admit to unsocial phone behavior themselves
• 1 in 5 Americans have seen communication frustrations lead to arguments or conflicts

Talking on speakerphone in public is the biggest pet peeve

What annoys us the most? Speakerphone conversations, it turns out. Nothing irks people more than hearing someone blabbering loudly on speakerphone in public. It’s the top complaint when it comes to communication frustrations. But the noise complaints don’t end there. In second place, we have people playing music or videos on speaker in public. Following closely at number three is the classic frustration of talking to someone whose attention keeps drifting to their phone. However, phones don’t need to be on speaker to cause problems. Our study also found that loud phone conversations in public (without speakerphone, that is) come in at number four, while discussing personal matters in public lands at number five.

Just outside the top five are those who can’t resist checking their phones during meals or meetings, people who leave their headphones on while talking to others, and those unexpected video calls that no one asked for—landing at number eight. Rounding out the list are slow texters and people who prefer leaving voicemails instead of simply sending a text, ranking ninth and tenth.

Generational differences

How do communication frustrations differ across generations? We explored what each generation finds most annoying, and the results reveal some clear differences. Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are especially frustrated by people who can’t put their phones down during face-to-face conversations. For Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980), nothing is more irritating than people talking loudly on the phone in public spaces, while Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) are most annoyed by speakerphone conversations in public. Meanwhile, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) stands out with their top frustration: people playing music or videos on speaker in public.

Half of Americans admit to unsocial phone behavior

While people are quick to get annoyed by others’ phone behavior, many are also honest about their own mistakes. In fact, over half of the respondents, 53%, admit that they sometimes engage in behaviors that others might consider “communication frustrations”.

So how do people respond when they encounter annoying phone behavior in public? Most choose the “head-in-the-sand” approach, with a significant 78% saying they simply ignore it. A smaller 17% take action by leaving the public space, while only 4% opt to address the issue directly. The remaining 1% prefer to handle it in another way. However, it doesn’t always end there. One in five respondents has ended up in an argument because of someone’s poor communication behavior.

Methodology

In September 2024, Gameland.gg conducted an independent survey of 2,000 U.S. residents. Participants shared their biggest communication pet peeves, whether they personally engage in these behaviors, and how they typically handle such situations. The survey comprised 61% male, 37% female, and 2% non-binary respondents, with an average age of 38.1 years. The following states were excluded due to insufficient data: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming.