A lot of people may not know how integral to people’s lives these devices have become. This is probably true mostly for people who grew up during a time when the word “cell phone” would probably have been received similarly to the way the word “flying scooter” would be. It may be hard for some of those people to believe, but some folks take the use of their phones so seriously that they actually use them in accordance with a sort of unofficial etiquette that has evolved as the use of cell phones has exploded.
You may want to be aware of these potential faux pas when using your phone.
#1 Calling to reply to a text
Someone who sent you a text message is probably expecting a text message in response. If they wanted to actually talk to you, they would have called. For some people this behavior is acceptable, like your 84-year-old grandma, for example.
#2 Watch where you’re going
Texting on the go
When you’re walking in a place where you are likely to encounter other people, it might be wise to not get too absorbed in whatever it is you are doing with your phone. Accidentally bumping into someone might get you a date in the movies, but seldom does that happen in real life.
#3 Ignoring people
This is undoubtedly on of the worst things you can do, particularly if you are in the company of someone who is not a big cell phone user. When you’re talking to someone, whether it be during lunch or just stopping for a quick chat, many people consider it rude to keep checking or responding to text messages on your phone.
#4 Rude ring
Phones have a “vibrate” function for a reason. There are times when it’s a very bad idea to have your cell phone ring. Some that come immediately to mind are while at church, a movie, a lecture or a funeral.
#5 Public speaking
The speaker function makes it a lot easier to talk with someone under certain circumstances, but one of them is not while in public. People having conversations while using the speaker on their phone in just about any public place can be quite annoying to those around them.
#6 Photo browsing
If someone hands you their phone to show you a photo, don’t assume they want you to start scrolling through their entire collection. There are virtually no limits to what people will take pictures of and store on their phone. Save both yourself and the owner of the phone from the embarrassment of seeing something you shouldn’t.
#7 Noisy games
Playing a game on your phone in public with the sound on is not a great way to impress people. Very few people want to hear those nifty sound effects that accompany your efforts to beat your previous score.
#8 Food as art
For some reason people just love to take photos of their food when they are dining out. Unfortunately, many of them want pictures of your food as well, and will actually ask you to hold off on taking that first bite until they get a chance to send it off to Instagram. Rude.
#9 Spoiling a free ride
If a friend is giving you a lift in their car, it’s probably not a great idea to talk to someone else on the phone the whole way. It might be excusable if you’re on the phone with your doctor giving him or her updates on your medical emergency, but other than that, pay attention to the friend who was nice enough to give you a ride.
#10 All hands
If someone holds their phone up to show you a picture, they will normally make it pretty clear if they want you to hold it yourself. Snatching a phone from someone when they show you something is not likely to be appreciated by the person doing the showing.
