I am at dinner with my friends and family. Do I
- a. Engage in conversation with them and ignore my cell phone if/when it beeps
- b. Try a little of both – talking and texting
- c. Ignore others at the table and become completely engrossed in my phone
I would have to say…
- d. All of the above
It is common courtesy to disregard your phone and interact with the people around you. At the same time, it is possible to talk and text without being rude if your texting does not interfere with the conversation, exclude you from the group, or if the person you are texting is relevant to what is currently happening at the table. If you must take a phone call, respectfully excuse yourself from the table and continue your conversation in a more secluded area. When you come back to the table, apologize for any inconvenience you may have caused and carry on with the events of the night.
Mind you, these practices of cell phone etiquette are only customary if you are in a casual setting with your friends and family. Cell phones are a huge faux pas if you are at a formal dinner, interview, banquet, meeting, ceremony, etc., and should only be used in extreme circumstances.
I have noticed how many people do not know or do not implement cell phone etiquette in their daily lives. More people are engrossed in their phones than the people around them. Even when someone is surrounded by the people they care about, they still find someone to text. This new age of technology has stripped people of the social skills that really matter, and because all they know is cell phones, texting, and social media, they do not realize when the real thing (that is, face-to-face dialogue) is actually happening. Sadly, this is what our world has come to. We need to teach people proper ways of using cell phones and foster speech and social skills so that this dying art will continue thrive.
Gabrielle Garcia 