Cell Phone Etiquette

Etiquette are part of social life and social life is a very important part of human life. Human social life depends upon relationships and etiquettes are important factors which have the capability of making or breaking these relationships. Not to mention the fact that etiquette affects your impression which is again important for your social life. As in any other social behavior, cell phone usage also demands certain kind of etiquette. Cell phones are very common nowadays and are an indispensable part of our daily life. But have you ever realized that this instrument can also be a nuisance if not used properly? You must have definitely experienced it sometimes. Insensible usage of cell phones in worship places and hospitals, where silence matters so much, is quite annoying. Isn’t it? This is a simple example. You may also violate cell phone etiquette, unknowingly, if you aren’t aware of it in the first place. So, it is important to have an idea about cell phone rules because, you are also a part of this society. Read this article and learn about basic cell phone etiquette.

Cell Phone Manners

The Dos Of Cell Phone Etiquette

• Identify your ring tone. It is truly very embarrassing if someone points out that it’s your phone that is ringing whilst you wonder whose phone is ringing unattended.
• Keep the phone in silent mode if you are in a meeting or out for a shopping with your family or attending a conference, and even if you are in no mood to pick up the call. Continuous ringing of the phone annoys others.
• Always try to speak softly over the phone; there is no point in yelling. It irritates not only the person on the receiving end, but also those people around you. You may receive tough staring in return of yelling and you don’t want to be in such awkward situation.
• Keep your ringtone on a low volume. You are carrying the phone with you and a low volume can easily stimulate your tympanum (or eardrum). Ring tones should only indicate that someone is trying to contact you; they aren’t meant to startle the people around you.
• It is basic manners to keep distance from others when you are talking on the phone. Every person has a privilege for a personal space. Imagine how annoying will it be if someone stood right next to you and yelled into their phone? Not to mention, it is very uncomfortable if a stranger comes too close to you.
• Business conversations should be carried out in private. Discussing core issues in public may affect the confidentiality of the matter. There should be clear planning about the range of issues and topics which should not be spoken of in public. Lack of planning can have dangerous consequences on business deals, relationships and even on your future plans.
• It is obvious that the person on the receiving end cannot see your gesture. So, it is important that you keep the right tone while talking over the cell phone. Failing to deliver the right modulation may lead the other person to misinterpret your message. For the same reason that the other person cannot see you, you should not overuse body gestures to express your thoughts because it cannot help your conversation; on the contrary, it may attract many eyes to you.
• Multi-tasking is one of the common things you do while on a call. It may affect the quality of both the tasks. So, it is always better to concentrate on one thing always. Finish your conversation and then move on to the next task.
• It is quite common that a call gets dropped. Try to act civil here because you really can’t blame anyone for such call-drops. To maintain personal relations intact, it is always better to take the blame by saying “Sorry, my phone must have dropped the call.”

The Don’ts Of Cell Phone Etiquette

• It is not necessary that you carry your phone everywhere you go. There are some places where a cell phone can be just a nuisance. For instance, public places like restaurants and cinema halls are places where people hang out. Imagine how uncomfortable would others be, if they have to pause their talks just because you interrupt them with your phone conversation. Just in case if you receive an emergency call, then excuse yourself and attend the call once you step out.
• Do not attend calls while driving – You don’t want to let it to be the end of your life, do you? By attending a call while driving, you are endangering not only your life, but also the people around you. It is always safe to park your vehicle and then attend the phone.
• It is not proper to yell on the phone, so that the people around you can also hear what you speak. Do not stamp down the calmness of a place and hinder others’ pleasure and privacy once you stepped inside the room/place.
• It is not appropriate to engage into long conversation when you are out with friends or family. It will be awkward for others to watch you lost in phone conversation. Always value the person in front of you.
• Do not use phone in flight especially during take-off and landing. The cell phone signals may interrupt the signals in the cockpit and may lead to very dangerous consequences.
• Do not use cell phones in hospitals. There are many patients around and your conversation may irritate them. Also, the electromagnetic waves from the phone may interrupt the proper functioning of the various hospital devices.
• It is not appropriate to discuss your private matters in public. By doing so, you are disrespecting your privacy and also forcing others to hear it; please consider that they might not be interested in overhearing your conversation.

Having said that etiquette are an integral part of our social lives, it must also be said that they can be subject to exceptions, but only in times of emergencies. These may appear trivial when you read but, etiquette are really important when it comes to a practical social scenario. Hope this article provided you with some basic etiquette related to the usage of cell phone.