Mind your (mobile) manners

Is there anyone out there who doesn't have a mobile phone these days? And if so, how on earth do they manage to survive without one? These handy little devices have revolutionised the way we communicate with each other, and the devices themselves have undergone massive transformations over the last 15-20 years.

I still vividly recall, as an excited 18 year old, my Mum thrusting her enormous black brick of a phone into my hands as I was about to leave for a night out. What?? That thing's not going to fit in my bag! And how embarrassing to have to lug it around with me all night, just so I can ring home if 'something goes wrong'. Thankfully since then, the phones have become smaller, lighter and much prettier to look at, not to mention all the myriad of functions they now come with. But with the advantages they have brought - being constantly connected to loved ones, increased feeling of safety and security, is there a downside? Are we paying the price of the convenience of a mobile life?

The mobile revolution has happened so rapidly that there are no established rules of etiquette around their use (and abuse). As noted by Anne Kingston, any rules are 'being established on the run'. In other words, we're making it up as we go along. So what is the accepted standard of mobile behavior? Well as it turns out, this seems to partly depend on your age. Apparently the younger you are, the more tolerant you'll be of 'electronic distraction' (Kingston, A, 2011).

Some common complaints include people texting during meetings, dinner dates, ceremonies, but even this seems to depend on the situation and who is there. In fact, a recent survey by Retrevo, a consumer electronics company, found that 10% of people under the age of 25 thought it acceptable to text during sex!! I'm sorry, WHAT??!!! This brings up a number of questions, the least of which is how exactly is this achieved? Never mind WHY would you want to text during sex (are you bragging? Looking for tips? Looking for a way out of a bad choice one-night-stand?) and what about your poor partner - what are they supposed to think? 'Am I that boring in bed?'

A survey by Intel Corp, conducted in the U.S, found that most people would rather see someone pick their nose than use a mobile device in front of them (Kingston, A). Now doesn't that say a lot about how far our manners have come?

Personally, I admit to being addicted to my mobile phone - it goes everywhere with me, and I'm constantly checking it for emails, messages, Facebook updates, and to take photos. But I'm not alone - 1 in 5 adults admit to checking their mobile before getting out of bed in the morning (Entertainment Close-Up, 2011). I'm definitely one of those!

Augme Mobile, 2011, Using your smartphone in bed 

So what's the way forward? For starters, it would probably be helpful to have a discussion with your nearest and dearest about their expectations of what's appropriate, or not. Then probably best to follow their lead, or risk being ex-communicated. Sorry, bad pun. But somehow we need clearly defined rules, or even just guidelines, to help us direct our mobile behavior, so we can make sure we're not offending anyone.

References:
Augme Mobile, 2011, Using your smartphone in bed, Augme Technologies, viewed 2nd December, 2012, via http://augmeblog.com/using-your-smartphone-in-bed/

Entertainment Close-Up, 2011, Intel Survey: 'mobile etiquette' mishaps or running rampant? Viewed 28th November 2012, via (http://ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=66360424&site=ehost-live&scope=site)

Kingston, A & Ballingall, A, 2011, Public displays of disaffection, Maclean's, volume 124, issue 36, viewed 29th November, 2011, via EBSCOHost (http://global.factiva.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/ha/default.aspx)