Bad Phone Etiquette

Failing to say goodbye, hanging up while someone is still talking and rarely answering the phone are among the most annoying mobile phone habits, it was revealed yesterday (12/10/2017).

Experts have unveiled the modern guide to phone manners, which aims to bring back some of the pleasantries and good etiquette typically associated with using the telephone.

The study of 2,000 adults revealed one in five are taking phone calls on the toilet, while 68 per cent lose concentration less than four minutes into a call.

A third of Brits are irritated by friends taking photos of every single meal for social media, while a quarter get peeved by others taking selfies.

Eating and drinking on the phone, using too many emoji’s, pocket dialling and looking at the phone in the company of friends and family also feature highly in the top 50 list of annoyances.

A spokesman for Carphone Warehouse, which carried out the research via OnePoll.com said: “Smartphones are such a large part of people’s lives, and in this ‘always on’ world of mobile connectivity, we’re bound to clash over how we use them from time to time.

“Our findings pinpoint where we can improve the way we use our phones, so people don’t have to worry about forgetting their mobile manners.”

The study shows oversharing while on the phone – having loud and highly personal phone conversations in front of others – is another major bugbear for Brits.

Putting calls on loudspeaker or playing music in the middle of a public space grates people, while others can’t stand listening to key tones.

Two out of five adults find themselves aggravated by people texting while walking and not looking up, although one in 10 are guilty of it.

The nation’s biggest bugbear is loud phone conversations with just under half flagging this as a major frustration.

One in five are bothered by others interrupting conversations to use their mobiles with nearly one quarter of smartphone users admitting to regularly checking their devices when going out with friends.

Pretending to lose phone signal, using your phone on a date and drunk dialling were also amongst the top 50 smartphone annoyances.

Over one third admit to not paying attention to a friend or partner because they are preoccupied with their smartphone, with twice as many women than men admitting to using their mobile phone during a conversation.

The nation’s biggest bugbear is loud phone conversations with just under half flagging this as a major frustration.

Three out of five admit to falling victim to the ‘second screen’, simultaneously watching television and playing on their phones with over half doing it on a daily basis.

Smartphone users admit to being distracted by their phone during work a staggering nine times a day.

Eating down the receiver, loud phone games and taking phone calls in meetings has resulted in 72 per cent agreeing technology is turning us into a population with bad manners.

With modern mobile habits in tow, the typical Brit is equally as happy to communicate with family and friends over the phone as they would face to face.

And we are an impatient nation, with more than one in 10 expecting an immediate response to a voicemail, missed call, WhatsApp message or email.

The spokesman for Carphone Warehouse added: continues: ““No one is on their best behaviour all the time. But since smartphones are with us wherever we go, it can be easy to let our mobile manners slip.

“Our findings uncover where this is most likely to happen so we can kick those bad habits and maintain a blissful relationship with our smartphones – and each other.”

TOP 50 PHONE ANNOYANCES

1. Loud phone conversations

2. Texting while walking and not looking up

3. Texting/looking at your phone while someone is having a conversation with you

4. Oversharing – loud and highly personal phone conversations

5. Putting calls on loudspeaker in public

6. Talking to other people while on the phone

7. Taking a photo of every single meal for social media

8. Hanging up while someone is still talking

9. Rarely answering the phone

10. When someone rings you, but when you immediately call back they don’t answer

11. Playing music through a phone in public

12. Sending texts while looking in someone’s face and pretending to hold a conversation

13. Using a selfie stick in crowded spots

14. Selfies

15. Having the key tones on (the clicking sound when someone types)

16. Text speak

17. Failing to say hello / goodbye

18. Friends or family that look at their phone while they’re out with you

19. Annoying ring tones

20. Playing annoying games on a mobile on loudspeaker

21. Interrupting a conversation to message / call

22. When someone’s mobile goes off in the night and wakes you up

23. Leaving blank/unintentional voicemails

24. When people ring you but they have little or no reception so the phone keeps cutting out

25. Using the phone while cycling

26. Taking phone calls while using the toilet

27. Eating/drinking while on a phone call

28. When the phone cuts out, and both sides try ringing each other back and nobody can get through

29. Being put on hold while someone takes another call

30. Calling /messaging while on a date

31. When you’re put on loudspeaker unexpectedly

32. Taking phone calls in the middle of a meeting

33. People who comment on each other’s social media posts while they’re together

34. People who ring each other when they’re in the same house

35. People who send a passive aggressive ‘?’ when you don’t answer their question immediately

36. Drunk dialling / messaging

37. Using too many emojis

38. When people send a separate text / message for their every thought and feeling

39. Getting bombarded with texts before you can respond

40. Pocket dialling

41. People who phone you when they’re walking into the wind so you can’t pick up their voice

42. Wearing wireless headphones so it looks like someone is talking to themselves

43. Getting a Facetime / Skype call when you don’t expect it / want to video call

44. Losing concentration just minutes into the call

45. Browsing social media on a mobile at work

46. Pretending the phone has lost signal, when you know it hasn’t really

47. Taking photos on a mobile phone in crowded spots

48. Hearing a mobile phone going off next door when you’re at home

49. Ignoring messages

50. Using your phone whilst being served at a till

ENDS

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