Hello, can you hear me now?
Yes, we can ALL hear you, now stop shouting!
We don’t need to remind you how much you love your mobile phones. It has clearly become more than just a device to talk… sometimes a bit too much. In fact, research suggests a large chunk of users suffer from ‘nomophobia’ (no mobile-phone phobia) and get stressed if they are away from their mobiles for a longer duration.
There is no doubt that mobiles form a vital part of our professional and personal lives but remember that we are not joined at the hip to this useful device! We agree that one can’t imagine a day without our mobile, but how much is too much? Is there a constant need to update your friends when you are out at the movies? Do you feel compelled to take that call when you are dining with your significant other?
So how do you decide when it is time to keep your mobile phone away? What to do when someone isn’t minding their mobile manners? More so, is there anything called mobile etiquettes?
July is the National Cell Phone Courtesy month and it is observed globally. Encouraging mobile phone users to be more respectful of their surroundings, it educates people about the proper way to use their mobiles. So we thought why not share the same with our readers and hear from them what qualifies as a mobile etiquette.
Here are eight tips for you to brush up on your mobile phone etiquette:
- NO cell-yell – It is true that you are mobile and conversing through a wireless device, but that doesn’t mean you talk loudly into your phone. Your mobile phone is not a megaphone, so don’t shout…speak normally, as if the person were just next to you.
NO mobile disco- Yes, you love the latest Katy Perry number and can’t stop crooning it but why be a DJ and play it out loud through your mobile in public? It might be music to your ears but it could be annoying hundreds next to you. Respect others and use your earphones (not maxed out) to listen to music and even while playing games while in the train or in a public place.- NO speakerphone – It may be convenient to go hands free and be tempted to use the speakerphone while calling but it is unfair to the people surrounding you at the bus stop or the supermarket to listen to you. And they definitely don’t want to hear both parties!
- Keep it private – The person standing next to you at the bank doesn’t need to know what you had for dinner, when your next doctor’s appointment is or a word-for-word reenactment of an argument you had with your neighbour. Avoid personal conversations and if possible step aside or leave the room when taking a call in public.
- Table It – Don’t take a call when involved in face-to-face conversation with your friends or your significant other. Talking or texting while eating out isn’t appreciated by the other party. Resist the temptation to check your phone while sitting across a table. If it is an absolute must and can’t be avoided, alert your companion in advance that you are expecting a call.
- Food first- Don’t start snapping photos of your smoky barbecued chicken the moment it is served. Not only are you keeping your friend away from savoring the food but keeping it cold. It may be considered rude and makes the other person feel that their company is less important to you.
- Strictly SILENT- Put your phone on silent mode before you enter:
- Office meeting
- Theatre
- Restaurant
- Doctor’s clinic
- Church/Temple
- Museum, and
- Any other enclosed public spaces.
Your conversations are bound to distract others, however brief they might be.
- Don’t text and drive- Texting or talking on the mobile while behind the wheel of a car is dangerous and can distract drivers, which can lead to accidents on the road. It’s even illegal in some countires.
Are you guilty of any of the above? What is your biggest mobile pet peeve? Which trait would you like to be listed as a mobile etiquette? Share with us.