Minding Our Manners: Smartphone Etiquette is Still a Work in Progress [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some people check their smartphones frequently as they’re winding down to sleep, and others grab their smartphones first thing in the morning. While our daily routine is being disrupted by the emergence of these tiny yet impactful machines, how is our society keeping up with them? How have our perceptions about smartphone use updated to the evolution of the technology?

A study by the University of Essex found the presence of cell phones can have negative effects on closeness, interaction, and conversation quality and can interfere with human relationships. If you and your circle are active smartphone users, you’ve probably experienced “phubbing,” a newly coined term for neglecting people in real life in favor of using your phone. So when is phubbing appropriate, if ever?

A survey asked people what they think is acceptable smartphone use in various situations, from public transportation and classrooms to dinner tables and dates. For some situations, there is a noticeable difference of opinion between age groups: While 54% of people ages 18 to 24 disapproved of emailing on smartphones during a meeting, 73% of those ages 34 to 45 disapproved of it. And while 50% of millennials feel it’s appropriate to text during a meal, only 15% of people aged 30+ do.

It's observed that the practice of using the smartphone while driving or riding a bike is an universal trend. An exclusive study on the evolving etiquette surrounding smartphones shows that 88% of people even disapproved of pedestrians texting while crossing the street.

The eBay team has surveyed people on etiquette in situations such as smartphone usage in movies, meetings, school, and even church, to see what their thoughts were. The results were interesting, as was the disparity between age groups on what is considered acceptable. You can see their exclusive findings in the below infographic called Minding our manners: Smartphone etiquette is still a work in progress.

Smartphone etiquette?

Keep it professional at work and in the classroom - silence your phone, and don't use it for personal calls, text, or social media.
Keep it relevant - when with others, only use your phone for purposes that are important to the whole group.
Don't ignore the person in front of you - Put the phone away when you're talking to someone, out on a date, or checking out at the store.
Most importantly - Focus on the road - if you need to use a phone, have a passenger do it for you while you drive.
Respond your texts at the next appropriate time. Don't wait too long.
Instead lost in the world of a tiny screen, stay in the moment - your phone can wait.

image credit: pcmag