Cell phone and Technology Etiquette

[Iowanian]

I'm not sure if things have changed significantly in the past year or so or if I'm just becoming more aware of it lately. It seems that with more technology at our finger tips it is getting much more difficult to maintain an in person conversation.

I can understand business meetings where others have important issues to stay on top of, but if someone schedules a meeting with me, I feel obligated to give them my attention during that scheduled time and usually expect the same within reason. It's pretty tough to believe someone is being attentive if they're checking facebook or snap chat.

Lately in person conversations are tougher to have, let alone dinner. We've all seen it, 4-6 people at a restaurant table with 4-6 faces glued to phone screens instead of talking.

I read of a new "game" that I think is a great idea, at least for personal/friend meetings.

Cell Phone Roulette.

Smartphone Roulette The rules are simple:

1. When you sit down, place your phones on the table, face down. You may stack them if you'd like to be extra extreme, though this is not required.

2. Nobody is allowed to touch their phone—not even if it rings, vibrates, or chimes.

3. If you check your phone before the meal is over, you pay the entire check. No exceptions. Even if you just lift that phone ever so slightly to see who texted you. Your treat.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Bacon Cheeseburger

When I was in school a few years back, it seemed the teachers were as much of the problem as the students. On the first day of every class, they'd always say that if they caught anyone screwing around on their phone during class they would get kicked out, but never even once did I see any of them enforce that rule.

In my entire college career, I think I had one teacher that actively enforced the no cell phone policy, although every single one had it mentioned in the syllabus. If caught, that teacher would confiscate the cell phone and read your conversation to the entire class. I think he caught 2 or 3 people texting throughout the semester...

A bit of public shaming can go a long way.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

What? There were 36 posts in the thread before you first posted. Do you have your settings at 5 posts per page or some shit?

Not that I even give two shits in the first place, but I think it would be easy enough to skim through 30-something posts to see if something you're thinking about has been mentioned. Especially when you just admitted you spend time on this site while you're out with your ****ing friends. It's not like this is some reerunedly out-of-control mega thread..

1) the reading the first page thing is a joke
2) I usually wind up on CP or reddit when everyone else starts the texting frenzy. But for the most part I won't pulp NY phone out of the pocket unless to check time or Google something.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

I'm taking it enough people here have FB to see the Clickbait link about a restaurant wondering why it was receiving so many complaints between 10 years ago and the present day, right?

Saw it during a meeting at work this morning while my manager was talking to me and totally had to post it.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Young people are worse, but it's contagious.

I've seen people check their phones during job interviews. I've seen them text during important meetings. I've seen tables next to me where it didn't appear that people said 10 words to others at their table....but were texting across the table. I've seen people check their phones while giving sales pitches or presentations at meetings.

I do totally understand why people working remotely or in business need to stay on issues. I get that. It's the lunch and dinner or face to face conversations where people stop to text that drives me nuts.


I'm worse about it than I'd care to admit. I've been scolded for taking my phone out and reading emails a couple of minutes into blow-by-blow details of the work day of a wife, I feel the phantom buzz/ring in my pocket even when it's not there.

Technology is a good thing but it's definitely a curse socially I think. People really do need to learn to use their face to face time better imo.

If Young people keep de-evolving due to technology in 10 years they'll have surgery to turn themselves into Steven Hawking.

Came across a new one recently -- someone checking their cell phone in them middle of a deposition! Imagine that, you're under oath giving sworn testimony, and you cant' pay attention...

Second, it's a curse socially to US -- old farts like you and me. The kids who are living this stuff day to day just interact differently, and that will continue to evolve. Maybe face to face time becomes less important, but these people are probably straight up communicating more often than we did/do, are more plugged into each other's lives, and build larger social networks. Who knows.

Not for us to say it's good or bad. It just is.

[Iowanian]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

The roulette sounds interesting, but you're going to have to get their attention somehow to propose it.

Probably best to start by just knocking the damn thing out of their hands.

Duh.

Group Text.

[Iowanian]

Originally Posted by Setsuna

This is the information and technology age. Stop being a pleb OP.

Dear Setsuna,

I would like to inform you that we were pleased to receive your email and resume'. Unfortunately, as a member of the information and technology age, you've failed to recognize the first part of our job requirements that specify "excellent oral and written communication skills". While I'm certain that text speak is quicker and impressive to your associates in your clan on PS4, I was less impressed.

C u l8r dood, no job4 u

Sincerely,

Fuddy duddy in charge of hiring

[DJJasonp]

this topic is a real pet peeve of mine. I work in IT as well, but in meetings, I do not typically bring my phone or iPad....unless my presence is only as an observer, and not as a participant.

It drives me bonkers when giving a presentation in a meeting, and I see people with two phones on the table (personal and work)...and checking both.

Cant count the times where Ive been challenged on a project.....and I refer back to specs that were discussed in a meeting....where the offender had their head in their phone the entire time.

Guess what? You werent engaged.....your fault.

Now, when this happens during meetings, I call it out.... by stopping my presentation and saying "..jim, do you agree?"

Totally throws people for a loop....makes everyone in the room look at jim....and everyone sees jim looking up from phone/iPad with a "huh?" look on their face.

I have no mercy in those situations. I am here to help you.....the least you can do is stay engaged.

[Lzen]

.

[TinyEvel]

I created a policy at my last company where there were no screens allowed in meetings. No phones or laptops. It had come to a point where fifteen people would be in a meeting where we are presenting ideas, and thirteen of them would be on their laptop.

i let everyone know that, if you're invited to a meeting your participation is invited and encouraged. if you've got other things more important to do, please don't attend.

Nobody complained. We had very effective meetings.

[ModSocks]

A customer came in yesterday that i hadn't seen in years. It was hard to talk to him because he had nothing but one word responses while he was glued to his phone.

He use to be really personable. It's weird. Twilight zone weird.

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by Frosty

My brother is a professor at U of Texas and he says it's a huge problem with the students. Most of them can't pay attention for more than a few minutes and spend most of class texting or dicking around on Facebook. Then they bitch at him when their grades are poor.

As for people talking on their phones, that seems to be mostly older people. My kids' peers almost never seem to talk on their phones. They almost exclusively text.

Middle school is worse.

I may as not be around when a kid wants to play with the phone.
I should do the lessons on a phone.

Our school policy is it is to be put away during class unless the teacher says it can be used-searching net for class, calculator.

But, I am a little different. The first day of class, I tell the kids to put all electronics on the table. Explain to them that when they are in class, it can stay on the table instead of in their pocket or sweatshirt hoodie pocket.

The reasoning is that if it is visible, I know where it is, and they are not trying to sneak a text.

When I see a kid with text face, you can tell they are focused on texting and not class.

When a kid is looking down, I can tell it is not at their notes.
Then I say they are only looking at one of two things. Their phones or their crotch.

One is not acceptable and the other is just weird.


Mobile phone etiquette is needed. But is should not be taught in school. We have other things to focus on.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Dude, nobody reads any further than 1 page back from the current one.

I generally start at the first post and read all from there.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Hydrae]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

I generally start at the first post and read all from there.
Posted via Mobile Device

Same here. Makes the mega threads a pain though so they get avoided as often as not.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by Hydrae

Same here. Makes the mega threads a pain though so they get avoided as often as not.

Try clicking on the "View First Unread" link in the upper left corner of the first post on each page. It makes reading mega threads a snap.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Dude, nobody reads any further than 1 page back from the current one.

It's pretty damn ignorant to post in a thread if you can't be bothered to read the thread.