Did your smartphone eat your manners?

A survey carried out by One Poll in the UK among 1,000 people found that 77 per cent think social skills now are worse than they were 20 years ago, and 72 per cent think mobiles have encouraged rudeness.

Do you ...
• Leave your phone on the table when dining? (note- if you’re alone that’s okay!)

• Keep your mobile on your lap in meetings and read/send surreptitiously?
• Read emails or send texts overtly during meetings?
• Read emails or send texts during social occasions, such as when out to dinner with friends, or having a drink at a bar?
• Interrupt conversations to take calls during meetings or social events?

Think about the message your behaviour is sending to the people that you are with

- you’re not important
- your meeting is keeping me from other matters,
-anything else is more interesting/important than you are!!

Recommendation – turn it off, or (if something particular is going on) explain to people prior. “I just need to keep an eye on my phone in case the babysitter calls” or “I need to take the call if my lawyer rings about the court case”.
Let’s change those stats above!

by Marianne Wilkinson