Mind your Mobile Manners!

Top Ten Cell Phone Manners

 Introduction

• Love them or hate them, cell phones are every­where.

• There’s no question that everyone needs one.

• Cell phones are great—they keep us in touch with friends and family and can be
life savers in an emergency.

• They allow us to:

 watch videos
 nav­i­gate
 sched­ules
 com­mu­ni­cate with some­one with­out even speak­ing a word.

• But they can also be annoying if not used thoughtfully.

• The way many people use them has gotten out of
control.

• Remember that the cell phone is not the problem;

it’s the user’s lack of respect for others.
 1. NEVER drive and use your phone at the same time.

• Drivers who talk on mobile or cell (cellular)

phone are as impaired as drunken drivers
(Strayer, & Crouch, D.L, 2006).

• four times higher risk of crash.

• The risk to the public is serious.

• Using mobile phones can cause drivers to take:

 their eyes off the road,

 their hands off the steering

wheel

 their minds off the road and the surrounding

situation.

Cognitive distraction
 longer reaction times (notably braking
reaction time, but also reaction to traffic
signals),

 impaired ability to keep in the correct lane,

and

 shorter following distances.

• Text messaging also dangerous.

• Both hand-held and hands-free mobile phones

impair driving.

• No difference because of the cognitive

distraction involved with both types of
phones.
 2. Be in control of your phone, don't let it
control you!
• Be courteous to those you are with; turn off your phone if it will be
interrupting a conversation or activity.

• Be both physically and mentally present for the people you care
about.

• If your phone rings, let the person know you’ll call back later, when
you are alone.

• Doing otherwise gives the person you’re with the impression that
he or she isn’t important to you.

• Text messaging in front of others is the equivalent of whispering

behind someone’s back.
 3. Avoid talking about personal problems in a
public place – Public Chatter

• You may forget that everyone around

you can hear every single word you
say.

• Not only can what you say be

misconstrued, a steady stream of one-
sided chatter will likely be annoying.

• Watch your language when in a public

space.

• Keep conversations about money,

relationships and work private.
4. If it must be on and it could bother others, use the
silent ring mode and move away to talk.

• Learn to use your phone’s

features like:
 silent ring,
vibrate
Voicemail

• Be considerate of others while

using your cell phone.
 5. Speak softly.

• Speaking loudly or
arguing over the phone
in public places where
many people are
gathered is thoughtless
and impolite behavior.
 6. Don’t make calls in public places

• A library

• Theater

• Church / Mosque

• Your table in a restaurant

• These places are public places where the comfort of others must
be taken into account.
 7. Watch your language, especially when others can
overhear you.
• We must take care of the language we use while conversing
on our cells, especially in public.

• People around might not be aware of our frankness level or

conservative level with whom we are talking to.

• Hence, we might come across as very off-limits or very rude,

unintentionally.
 8. Ringtone & Facebook
• Think about the choice and volume of your ringtone.

• Remember: your ringtone speaks volumes about your

professional image.
• Think twice about
inappropriate Facebook
profile pictures, too.

• Many people synchronize

their Facebook contacts -
colleagues and clients can
also see them.
9. Be careful while letting your thumb talk – texting!
• If you receive a text message that was sent to you by mistake,
reply explaining that you aren’t the intended recipient.

• You don’t have to respond to anything else in the message.

• You shouldn’t use text messaging when informing
someone of:

 sad news,
 business matters, or
 urgent meetings,

• If you text someone two times and they don't respond,

they don't want to talk to you. So stop texting them.

• DON'T TEXT IN ALL CAPS: IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE

ANGRY !!
• Don't use "lol" more than you
have to.

• This is especially appropriate

in situations like this “traffic is
horrible LOL.” Obviously,
you’re not laughing out loud
at the traffic.

• Some people like to use lol in

every text when a simple
“haha” will do.
10. Don’t text or attend calls during class or a meeting at your
job.