Are Cell Phones Destroying Good Manners? 

Are good manners becoming a thing of the past? Some might say it appears so.

“Please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me,” are seldom heard, except with a sarcastic tone. Swear words are a part of everyday vocabulary. Men and boys wear hats indoors and even at the dinner table. And it is rare to see men or younger people of either sex give up a seat or hold a door for an older person or a pregnant woman.

And what about those cell phones. Everyone has one today, so wouldn’t you think that cell phone users would try to respect other people’s space? Not so, says a market research study.

Market researcher, Synovate, claims that 70% of the 1,000 people they asked experienced cell phone rudeness on a daily basis.

Packer Coach stopped a press conference

Ask Mike Sherman. The Green Bay Packer’s coach broke off a news conference recently when a cell phone rang while he was speaking. He said the ringing phone showed a lack of respect.

Have you ever been with someone who talked on the phone while you were having dinner? It says to the people at the table that the call is more important than their company. It may be worse for people at nearby tables who have to listen to the phone conversation, too.

We have all heard the “cell yell.” It happens when the user speaks so loudly into the phone that her voice drowns out all other talk in the room. If you can’t hear the person on the other end of the phone, or he can’t hear you, it’s a good bet you should take the call elsewhere. Unfortunately, people just talk louder, no matter where they are.

Phones ring even in places of worship

Theater managers will often ask people to turn off their phones before a play or other live show. But sometimes people forget. Broadway shows have come to a stop when a phone has rung in the audience. It is not uncommon to hear phones ring in movie theatres, libraries and even places of worship.

Can you think of anything more annoying than trying to watch a movie while the lady behind you tells the babysitter where to find the baby lotion. The right thing to do would be to take the call in the lobby, and turn off the phone before returning to your seat.

When did every call become so urgent that we can’t wait to answer it…no matter where we are…who we are with…what we are doing?

Why do cell phones bring out the worst manners in normally thoughtful people?

Lew Friedland, a communications professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, told CNN Reporter Amy Cox that this lack of manners is because people might be unaware of what they are doing or of the other people around them. He said that this unconscious rudeness has caused even public space to be divided up into small private space.

Places like bus stops are public spaces. But when we are there while someone has a private conversation on the phone, we feel like we are eavesdropping. What can we do?

Teach kids proper phone manners

First, we can teach our children proper phone manners. Teens need to turn off the phones at the dinner table, or when the family has guests. Just because we have the phones with us all the time, doesn’t mean we have to use them all the time.

We can be more private when we use our cell phones by calling back later or by moving to an area out of earshot of others. We can also ask people to talk more quietly. But this may not be met with success.

“A short time ago, if we asked cell phone users to talk quietly they would comply. Now, people are treating you like it’s your problem,” Friedland told Cox.

Cell phones and instant messaging are here to stay. We should learn to use them politely and not misuse them.

Source: Article by Amy Cox, CNN