Be in control of your phone, don't let it control you! There's very little that can't wait a couple of hours until your meeting or activity is over with. Make an effort to be with the people who are face to face.
If you are waiting for an important call (such as from your doctor or to tend to a serious personal matter) it's best to let the people you are with in real space to know that your attention may be pulled away briefly. Always apologize for the interruption.
Be Courteous
- Speak softly. If you must take a call in public, keep you voice low whenever you're in the presence of others. You want to be considerate and avoid disturbing those around you.
- Watch your language, especially when others can overhear you. Oblivious to those around them. Some cell phone users feel free to pepper their conversation with obscenities. The people nearby may try not to listen, but it's hard to ignore.
- Avoid talking about personal problems in a public place. Talking about personal problems in a public place can make those around you feel highly uncomfortable as well as being embarrassing for you. Make sure you save these conversations for home or another private place.
- If it must be on and it could bother others, use the silent ring mode and move away to talk. If you must be alerted to a call, put your device on silent ring or vibrate, and check your caller ID or voice mail later. If you must take a call, wherever you are, move to a private space and speak as quietly as you can. If you’re with a group, simply excuse yourself for a few minutes: “Sorry, I need to take this call. I’ll be right back.” Then keep the call as brief as possible.
- Don’t make calls in a library, theater, church, inside a meeting, or from your table in a restaurant. Phones should never be on the floor of a lodge room. Period, end of discussion. Excuse yourself, or even better just let the call go to voice mail.
Safety
- Keep Cell Phones out of the Changing Rooms. With most cell phones now having cameras youth groups have put rules into place to keep them out of the changing rooms. You may think it's fun to take pictures of everyone getting ready, but you never know what's in the back ground and it's simply not appropriate.
- Private info can be forwarded, so don’t text it. Don't text anything confidential, private, or potentially embarrassing. You never know when your message might get sent to the wrong person or forwarded. Not to mention if someone finds your lost phone. Never text disparaging information about others.
- NEVER drive and phone at the same time. People who are talking, texting, or otherwise using a cellphone while driving are significantly slower to react to a red light and are at least four times as likely to be involved in an accident. Many states have outlawed cell phone use while driving. Hands-free phones may lessen the risk somewhat, but the smartest choice is to pull into a parking area and stop before making a call.
- Texting is even more dangerous. If you are the driver, be sure to give a passenger your phone as a designated texter. Never, ever text and drive.
We hope that these common sense tips help you manage your cell phone when in public. The most important thing of all to remember is to be engaged in the moment with the people accompanying you. Your cell phone can be a great tool, but don't let it's social aspects alienate you from the people that you're with.
Cell phone etiquette was adapted from the Emily Post Institute article "Top Ten Cell Phone Manners"
