It’s not much of a shock but a new study from Intel says that mobile etiquette is getting much worse.
The survey of 2,000 adults found that 75% of people think the lack of mobile etiquette is getting worse and that 65% of people are actually getting visibly angry around people who show off bad phone decorum. Some of these include talking or texting loudly in public, on public transportation or in the bathroom.
It’s funny to note that 20% of those surveyed admitted to breaking some of the mobile etiquette rules themselves, although I’d bet the actual number is even higher. As smartphones become the dominant form of computing over the next few years, I’d expect this trend to continue.
One of the things I absolutely hate about the lack of mobile etiquette is people who talk loudly on their phones on public transportation. I’m the type of guy who lets the phone call go to voicemail if I’m on the bus or I’ll say in a hushed tone, “I can’t talk right now, I’ll call you back later.”
I hate being bombarded with the personal lives of the idiot next to me who apparently thinks their conversation is so important that they need to speak loudly on a crowded bus or train. I understand there are circumstances where you have to take a call – that’s the whole point of mobile phones anyways – but most of these are just chatty conversations.
I know that mobile etiquette is ill defined, as I think we should kill the phone belt holster, but we can agree on a few things like it’s rude to constantly be checking your phone at the dinner table or to talk while in the bathroom.
What’s your pet peeve about mobile etiquette? Am I just being an old fart about these things? Let us know in the comments, friends.
