Four Essential Cell Phone Manners

Now that nearly everyone has one or more cell phones, it’s time to figure out how to use the gadgets politely. While it may be “cool” to show off one’s fancy phone technology, it is definitely “uncool” when one uses it in a rude manner – and sometimes rudeness has unexpected consequences.

1. We’ve all been in a meeting, class, church service, etc. when someone’s cell phone has gone off and disrupted the proceedings. Take care that that person isn’t you. Get into the habit of checking to make sure your cell phone is on silent (not “vibrate” because noise results when the phone vibrates against whatever is near it) or off before entering into any place where such disruptions are not welcome. If you develop the habit, it is less likely that you’ll forget and be “that guy/gal” – the one who must scramble, red-faced, to find his/her phone and stop the noise while everyone in the room turns to watch. Don’t wait for a formal reminder from the host – the cell phone owner is the one who is responsible for preventing interruptions.
2. Everyone make’s mistakes – we’re all human. If you forget to turn off your cell phone and it rings in the middle of an occasion in which interruptions are unwelcome, first concentrate on stopping the noise, prevent further breaches of etiquette, and apologize when appropriate. To put it simply, as soon as you get to the phone hang up the phone/stop the ringing, turn the phone off or put it on silent, turn your concentration back to what was at hand, and apologize to the host and/or those around you when the occasion is over. If the proceedings were halted because of your cell phone, apologize as soon as you’ve turned it off. By no means should you answer your phone – if cell phone ringing is unwelcome during the occasion, so is your half of the conversation. It may seem obvious to most, but I’ve attended several concerts during which an audience member’s cell phone has gone off, the person answered it, and a conversation ensued – it’s quite annoying and frustrating for everyone else.
3. The phone was invented to enhance communication. In other words, people no longer have to shout across the block to carry on conversations with people they are not meeting face-to-face. Cell phone technology has developed so well that one can carry on a conversation at a normal volume and both parties can hear quite clearly. Out of habit, however, most people tend to raise their speaking voices when speaking into a phone. If this describes you, you should work on lowering your volume when talking on the phone, or avoid talking on the phone when others are within hearing distance. There are few things more annoying than to be bombarded with an unnecessarily loud half of a conversation being carried on by someone on a phone in the vicinity.
4. The phone was invented to enrich society through improved communication, but on some occasions, it defeats the point. It is downright rude to be conversing on the phone (no matter who called whom) when: at a social gathering, “hanging out” with friends, in an enclosed space (such as a bus, car, plane, train, elevator, etc.), concerts, church, meetings, class, etc. When in an enclosed space, texting is ok, but when one is with one’s friends or at social gatherings, not only talking, but texting on the phone is rude. It is a distraction from the people you are with and draws you away from the socializing, making those you were with feel rejected, neglected, ignored, and slighted. Enjoy spending time with the people near you – there’s time enough to call/text those who aren’t when you’re alone.