Cell Phone Etiquette

At the beginning of this quarter I was quite surprised to see a section of information that was in many professor’s syllabi.  It was a section on classroom etiquette and it was almost entirely about the use of cell phones in class.  It made me realize how bad people’s manners are with respect to cell phone usage.  For example, I find it very strange that people use their cell phones during dinner.  Growing up, my family would always get together for dinner and we would not be allowed to do anything during that time other than eat and converse.  Even now when I come home, I cannot have my cell phone out at the table.  This ‘training’ has caused me to find it very strange when people will pull out their cell phones during dinner and sit there and talk to someone else when they are surrounded by a group of friends that they could talk to instead.   It also bothers me when I’m having a conversation with somebody and their phone will ring and they will drop our conversation to have this texting conversation with someone else, and then they say, “Sorry about that, what were we talking about again?” I find it funny that they apologize, knowing that it is somewhat bad, and then will continue to do it.

A google search for cell phone etiquette provides some very good information that everyone should follow.  I agree with almost all of the points they mention, and I think that most people will, but I know that very few people will actually follow them.  Scrolling through the list, I say to myself, “yeah, I don’t do that and I don’t do that and I don’t do that…. I’m pretty good about all this, but I KNOW that some of that is an error in my ‘self-reporting.’ I would really like it if there was a way for someone to follow my usages and see how good my cell phone etiquette actually is. I think MANY people would be surprised by their results. It might actually be a way for people to realize their behavior and do something about their poor etiquette.

See this article for some interesting rules to live by:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/26/cell-phone-etiquette-15-r_n_514927.html

Realizing the Social Dependence on Cell phones

When you leave for the morning, what do you make sure that you have with you?  I check three things.  My keys, my access card, and my phone. I would never leave my room without these three items in my pocket.  There are many others who are just like me.

 As the technology that drives cell phones have developed in recent years, so has the software that runs on them.  This combination has significantly increased our social dependence on cell phones, especially for young adults and business men and women.  Can you imagine your life without a cell phone?

According to a survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), 88% of adolescents between 15 and 18 posses a mobile phone and 40% of those between 13 and 15 use cell phones.  This is double the number of users in 2002.  We are in the midst of an explosion of growth in the adaptation of cell phones.  Not only are more people using cell phones, but new phones have astounding capabilities.  Three years ago, Apple introduced the App store for mobile devices and it now carries over 400,000 unique applications.  Since its introduction, over 10 billion apps have been downloaded.  With mobile internet becoming a reality, the internet surfing habits of people have changed.  Mobile users have found great convenience and time saving in accessing internet through their mobile phones.  People are no longer using cell phones to make calls, instead they are replacing computers.  Business people no longer have to lug computers around, wait for boot times, or stay attached to a power cord or Wi-Fi hotspot.  They can conduct business on the go with complete transparency that they are not at the office.  Cell phones have dramatically influenced the manner in which business is conducted.

Young adults have jumped on the smart phone bandwagon, enticed by being able to instantly see updates and contact anyone at anytime from anywhere.  Although I do enjoy being able to be connected all the time, having a smart phone is a great tool.  I can look up information as soon as I ask a question, get out of a traffic jam, manage my finances, and entertain myself while waiting in lines.  I feel like it adds efficiency to my life. 

I think there are others who are more addicted to their cell phones than I am.  In an interview with a fellow student, I found an extreme to the addiction to cell phones.  She said, “I rely on my mobile phone too much.  I don't dare turn it off.  If it is powered off, I'm very uneasy to cut connections with others unless there's a tool that can replace the mobile phone, it's impossible for me to leave it.”  She carries it with her wherever she goes, keeping it powered for 24 hours a day.  It’s close at hand when she sleeps and it’s at quick reach at any time.  I think many of my fellow college students are in the same boat.  According to another survey, 80% of college students have “mobile phone dependency syndrome.”  Among them, 48% are serious cases who compulsively check and touch their phone every several minutes.  The obsession can cause people to imagine the phone ringing or vibrating even when it does not.  The survey also concluded that teenagers who excessively use their cell phones are more prone to abnormalities like disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress, and fatigue.

ASSOCHAM’s survey reveals that teenagers in metropolitan areas consider cell phones a ‘must-have’ item.  People’s lives and health are literally changing because of cell phone overuse.  Mobile phones have changed how business is conducted.  Many people who own a cell phone can’t imagine leaving home without it.  Is there a dependence on cell phones in our society?  Maybe not across the entirety of society, but as our generation ages, dependency across all age groups is inevitable.

Here is a visual of the explosion in growth over the past few years.

Here is a survey conducted to find out what is important from a phone.

See the following articles for more information-

 http://technology.ezinemark.com/increasing-business-dependence-on-iphone-and-ipad-application-development-with-a-mobile-application-development-company-56126fb1358.html

http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Teenagers_Increasingly_Dependent_on_Cellphones/551-113687-547.html