Mobile phone
etiquette
In the good old days of the land line, there were certain phone rules. A social
call was a community affair. Everyone in the family heard the conversation and
took turns to talk on the phone. But if the call was about a serious issue,
children were sent away from the room.
One fear was of using foul language in the presence of children or guests. If
the call was from an offensive person who might have to be told off roughly,
then children had to be protected from the language. Now foul language is
omnipresent: in movies, on radio and television, in classrooms, restaurants,
and, of course, mobiles.
Now no one asks for, or is granted, telephone privacy. However personal the
conversation might be, no one else present pays attention to it. This is an
aspect of information overload. There is too much happening which must be taken
note of, and there is no time for the trivia of overheard phone talk. A simple
way to test this is to try to remember at night the accidental mobile
conversation heard during the day. Hardly anything is recalled, however shocking
it might have seemed when heard live.
Ill-mannered people can be reduced to a few basic types. They are found in all
types of income groups, professionals, communities and nationalities. They are a
universal phenomenon.
The insensitive
This type of people are devoid of any kind of sensitivity, perhaps an indication
of poor upbringing. But they are so self-engrossed that they do not realise
their offensive behaviour and do not even note the reaction of the offended.
Nothing, not even a rebuke, can change them.
So it is but natural that they have no sense of mobile etiquette. They will take
and make calls in trains and buses, in cinema halls, in restaurants, at
funerals. And they always speak loudly.
Show-offs and bullies
Show-offs must show off. They are always showing off their latest expensive
acquisitions. They interpret all the looks they get, including the disapproving
ones, as exhibiting envy. In terms of mobiles, this shows up as talking big and
loudly on their brand new phone. Bus, train, public space, theatre, office,
every pace is their sporting arena.
Rebellious youngsters
There are youngsters who follow the rules laid down by elders. And there are
youngsters who follow the rules laid down by their peers. Those who stick to the
elders’ rules are dismissed as wimps. The peer-group pursuers are cool, unique
rebels. Even the ideology of individual uniqueness needs a mass following.
In terms of mobiles, this attitude translates into non-stop loud talk, anywhere,
any time. Receiving and making calls, especially in spaces where mobiles are
required to be switched off, is to thumb the nose at norms. Rules are not for
the cool man!
The insecure
They are scared of being alone. They hate privacy. They need company all the
time. So they are incessantly on the phone; one call follows another. They have
nothing to convey, nor are they seeking information. They just want to talk to
someone. Too many female mobile users fall in this category.
Stay mobile, be polite
Speak softly on a mobile in a public area. Keep the call brief.
Turn the mobile off when entering theatre, conference room or place of worship.
Or use the vibrate/silent mode.
Never talk on a mobile phone when driving. This is dangerous.
Do not use a mobile inside an aircraft or hospital because the device many
interfere with sensitive equipment.
Do not have emotional conversations in public. Do not expose your personal life
to others. Find a quiet corner in which to converse.
Do not sue annoying ring tones.
Never make calls while shopping, banking, waiting in line, or conducting other
personal business.
Do not drag work into fun, like while watching or playing games. Do not let your
work interfere with other people’s relaxation.
Remember that the backlash against mobiles has developed because too many mobile
users have ignored these rules.
While SMSing
Composing an SMS while in a face-to-face conversation with someone is just
about as rude as taking a voice call.
SMSes should not be used for formal invitations or to dump your girlfriend or
boyfriend.
Before you text someone and get frustrated at the lack of a response, be sure
that they are familiar with how to use the service.
Beware of your tone. What seems to you to be an innocuous message may be
misinterpreted by the recipient.
Don’t SMS while you are driving. You won’t know what hit you – or what you hit –
if you are pounding out a message on your keyboard.
Leave the slang to the kids.
SMS can be traced. Beware.
Don’t assume that because you are awake, working, not busy, or sober that the
person you are SMSing is also free. Many a pleasant sleep has been interrupted
by insistent beep-beeps of messages.
Remember that your phone does have an OFF button. There are very few things in
the world that absolutely cannot wait.
Short message service or SMS
Initially seen as a toy for geeks and a tool for mobile engineers, text
messaging has gained worldwide popularity since its introduction in 1994.
However, it was in 1992 that the first text message was sent from Sema, a
British technological company to mobile phone giant Vodafone. Europe, Asia and
Australia are SMS-crazy regions but it is relatively less used in the United
States. SMSes have caused subtle but interesting changes in society since they
became popular. In July 2001, Malaysia decreed that an Islamic divorce by saying
“I divorce you” (three times in succession) was not valid if sent by SMS.
back to
headlines