Back in 2013, we published a set of propaganda-style posters on cell phone etiquette. Some of the rules hold up, but a lot of them focused on talking over the phone, while everyone pretty much just texts these days. Overall, the advice almost seems quaint.
Thirteen years ago, about the worst thing a guy could do with his phone was have it go off during a movie. Since then, our ability to make life unpleasant with our technology has only increased, and our etiquette hasn’t really caught up with our newfound powers to annoy. So I thought it would be helpful to offer some suggested rules for smartphone and digital etiquette that might make our current lives a bit smoother.
Your phone should make your life more convenient without making everyone else’s life less pleasant. With that in mind: **Don’t play videos, music, podcasts, or games out loud in public.** Put your headphones on. And for the love of Pete, don’t run your Bluetooth speaker full blast on a hiking trail.
No one wants to hear Jelly Roll while trying to listen to birdsong. **Don’t take phone calls/Zooms/FaceTimes in shared spaces.** Waiting rooms, coffee shops, airport gates, and elevators are not your living room. And just because wi-fi is improving on flights doesn’t mean you should hold a work meeting on the plane. No one wants to hear you blab about what’s coming down the Q3 pipeline. **Don’t phub.**Phubbing is scrolling your phone while someone is talking to you.
Unless there’s an emergency you need to attend to, the people you’re interacting with in meatspace — including service workers like waiters and grocery clerks — should be prioritized. Attention is a gift; grant it generously to those around you. **Don’t let filming your workout get in the way of other people using the gym.** I film my lifts so my coach can check my form, so I get that filming can be helpful. But try to set up in a way that doesn’t disrupt other people’s flow and access to equipment, and if someone walks through your shot, don’t get upset.
The gym is a public area, not your private domain. **Keep video at events to a minimum.** Take your 15-second clip at the concert or your kid’s piano recital, then lower the phone so the people behind you can see the thing they came to see. Technology is supposed to remove friction from your life. Use it in a way that doesn’t create more friction for everybody else. **Don’t expect immediate responses to texts.** Everyone knows that most everyone else has their phone with them all the time, and that they likely got your text soon after you sent it.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
