Category — Cell Phone

Everyone has a cell phone. It’s a fact. Just the other day, I saw an 8 year old texting on his cell phone. Seriously? Now that cell phones are permanently embedded into our culture, we need to do something about teaching others how and when to use them. There is nothing more annoying than someone who thinks their cell phone is more important than interacting with reality. And now that our cell phones are also our computers (thanks to Steve Jobs and Apple), it distracts us even more from interacting with human life. I have put together 25 tips for practicing better cell phone etiquette throughout our daily lives.

1. Hang it up or put it in your pocket while ordering food at a fast-food restaurant.
2. ALWAYS turn it off during church, a play, the movies, meetings, and any other social gathering that it could distract others aroun
3. NEVER text someone while you’re driving. I think this is the scariest cell phone habit on the planet.
4. Never pick up your cell phone while at dinner with a client, loved one, or friends.
5. Turn off your cell phone when you are spending quality time with your spouse and/or children
6. Lower the volume on your ring tone
7. Don’t use a ring tone with bad language
8. Don’t use an obnoxious ring tone
9. Don’t wear your wireless headset 24/7. Seriously, you look dumb. Use it for the car and around the house.
10. Only text people with a texting plan. It costs .15 cents a text to receive a text if you don’t pay for a monthly plan.
11. Return your voice messages within 48 hours.
12. Get rid of the weird voicemail message. It’s annoying.
13. Never talk on your cell phone when you’re sitting at a table in a restaurant with friends or family.
14. If the call is really important but the time isn’t appropriate to talk, pick up the phone, and explain to them that you’ll call them back in a little bit.
15. Keep the decibel level down. You’re not talking into a fast food, drive-up intercom.

So, what do you think? Have any tips to add? Do you think I’m being too bossy? You know that you’re nodding your head to most of these rules. You just don’t want to admit it. I’m guilty for some of these. I had to put my phone down in the car today, because I was about to text someone while I was driving. Thinking about this article made me save the text for later.