Cell Phone Etiquette 101

I personally think that cell phones are a nuisance in today's society. We pay large bills each month to support our cell phone usage that includes texting, talking, and to some extent video calls to people that we see everyday. What makes it worse is people using cell phones at times when they should be concentrating on something else. Earlier this month, a woman was run over in downtown Toronto because she was crossing while speaking on her cell phone. She failed to hear the truck coming. Not only are cell phones annoying, but they're extreme safety hazards.

Nowadays, the cell phone is a symbol of status. The cooler the phone, the cooler you are. And currently, the king of all phones seems to be the iPhone. At $199 for the 8 GB iPhone on a 3-year contract, with plans costing about $40 a month for data transfer and web surfing, phones get expensive. Do we need something so expensive for things like calling each other and texting? Do we even need to call or text people that we see everyday? It would seem that we love to stay connected, with things like Facebook and MSN, it seems obvious that we would want to take something portable around with us. But when cell phones are causing deaths and wreaking havoc on our daily lives, something needs to be done.

When we purchase a phone, we aren't given a rulebook. Maybe we should. The government and cell phone companies and providers aren't putting much effort into making sure everyone stays safe while using these products. The provincial government of Ontario had mentioned a ban on cell phones and other electronics while driving. This was a few months ago. No other news of this ban has come forward, so it is safe to assume that it's not going to happen. Maybe there are unwritten rules for all cell phone users, that should be respected no matter where you are. If so, then these have to be part of them.

Five Rules of Cell Phone Use:

1. Do not use a cell phone while operating potentially hazardous machinery. This includes vehicles. Yes, that includes all those drivers we see weaving in and out of traffic or nearly hitting someone while making a lane change. It also includes those bus drivers who are texting while driving, putting everyone in the bus at harm.
2. Do not speak loudly on your cell phone in a confined area, forcing others to listen to half of a (probably uninteresting) conversation. Nobody wants to hear half a conversation while taking public transportation about what you did at school after eating your lunch, or what you did Friday night late week.
   
3. Please know your ringtone. Nothing is more annoying than having your phone ring for a long time as you wonder whether or not it's yours. Also, if you know your phone is ringing, pick it up. Don't dance as it plays a Jonas Brothers song. That's pretty annoying too.
4. Do not use your cell phone where you're not supposed to. A little glowing screen a few rows down in a movie theatre can completely ruin the movie. Someone talking in a library is also distracting, especially when you need to finish an essay.
   
5. Do not suddenly answer your phone while talking to someone else. Not only is this rude, but it kills all conversation you were having with that person. It doesn't help if you laugh the conversation with the person on your phone. That just makes your friend feel left out and unimportant.

Cell phones seem to be an increasingly invasive piece of technology in modern society. They interrupt conversations, make having conversations useless, and are being used at the wrong times because they're so darn distracting. With the average canadian having about one and a half phones, one would hope that we know how to use them politely and properly. But it seems that we don't and that everyone should be forced to take a mandatory seminar on how to use their cell phone. Maybe then we wouldn't have unanswered phone calls or annoying ringtones blaring on busses. Maybe as more cell phones are developped, we'll have a better sense of how to use them. But as they continue to evolve, chances are that we still won't be up to date on the latest news. You could always ask someone to text you the new rules. I'm sure they wouldn't mind as they're in class or driving a car.

Hi, my name is Anthony and I'm addicted to technology.

I found the video clip extremely funny. Louis C.K. is an extremely talented comedian who used his humour to get an important message across. Anyways, to the point of the matter...

I'm one of those people. The kind who hate it when the internet goes down, when my cell phone doesn't get connection, or when my satellite isn't working because it's raining outside. I'll admit that I'm guilty. After watching this video clip, I wonder why. Is it because we're so used to having everything working? Or maybe we're just too impatient? Either way, technology has come a long way and it seems with each technological advance, we take a step backwards in our composure and patience.

I remember when my parents would let me watch Disney movies on a VCR using a VHS. And then afterwards, we'd have to rewind it all the way to the beginning so that we could watch it again later. Or when cell phones were those huge rectangles of plastic with the antenna and the black-and-white-one-row-of-display screens (I found one of those in my house a couple of years ago). It seems that as technology advances, we automatically see it as better than what preceded it. After, we always look to see what can out-perform it. We're never just happy with what we have; we always need to continue on with the improvements. We're a society based on always improving on something, whether or not it's perfectly functional. But that's how industries perform. They can't make profit if they don't make new products. Yesterday on the radio, I was listening to a professor talking about how they’ve developed a ‘quantum computer’, which is supposed to operate several times faster than anything we have now. Do we need it? Not really. Why are they making it then? Because it gives them something to do, and eventually, market and sell.

Could we live without technology? I know I couldn't. Think about how often we use a piece of technology. Computers, video games, MP3 players and even the internet are continually evolving pieces of technology that we use daily. I know that I use my laptop at least 20 hours a week, my iPod about 10 hours a week, and play video games most of the 20 hours I'm using my computer. But what do all those numbers mean? Basically, that I'm addicted to technology. Even as I write this, I'm instant messaging, and listening to music. It just illustrates how addicted I am to technology. I could always try to take a step away from using technology, but then I’d need to find something else to do. I’m sure with a lot of encouragement, I could stop this addiction to technology, but it seems everyone else is addicted to it too. All the people on the street listening to music, or constantly on their Blackberrys it seems quite obvious that we as a society are addicted.

I think the problem we have with society is that we’re continually trying to earn a profit by developing newer and better things that are faster or more stable than their predecessors. A good example is the iPod. From the first iPod to the current iPhone and iPod Touch, it seems that technology has progressed so well that we should all be happy. But we’re not. They just keep improving and improving, and everyone chases after the newest thing. Maybe it’s a problem with society. But what can we do? Not much, other than hitch a ride along the technological wave and hope that the new things we just bought stay in style for more than a year. Because that would make us really unhappy.