What is Cell Phone Etiquette?
Cell phone etiquette involves following some simple guidelines of common courtesy when using a cell phone in public, designed to make public places more enjoyable for all. Chances are, you’ve been annoyed at one point or another by someone not practicing proper cell phone etiquette. The man or woman talking loudly into a mobile phone offends those forced to listen to business that’s none of their own. Private conversations, arguments, details about how a meeting went, or intimate knowledge of what’s in a stranger’s refrigerator at home are all things unwilling eavesdroppers can do without. Aside from overbearing conversations, obnoxious ringtones provide regular disruptions. The ambiance of restaurants and cafes must now compete with ringing phones and one-sided conversations. Distraction is another problem. Drivers talking on phones make last minute decisions or miss what’s going on entirely, causing unnecessary delays for the motorists stuck behind them, or worse, traffic accidents.
For the benefit of everyone, we would do well to define the term “cell phone etiquette.” Etiquette, according to Merriam Webster’s online dictionary, is defined as: The conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life. Now, let’s apply that to cell phone usage. Cell phone etiquette can be defined as proper cell phone usage in social and business settings. It is knowing when to take calls, when to ignore calls, when to silence your ringer, when to appropriately send and receive text messages and how to appropriately use your cell phone in different settings.
