Wither cellphone etiquette

It was not too long ago when cellphones came in an extremely large sizes that was mistaken for a black brick at times. Some would even say early handsets look very much like the Xbox 360 power supply, but that is another can of worms to be opened sometime in the future. Basically, the cellphone has become such an integral part of our lives, that we rarely go anywhere without it.
Unfortunately, the widespread use of cellphones has led to a degeneration of etiquette. How many times have you gone to the movies only to have a crucial moment of dialogue interrupted by the latest dance track blaring away on a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone? How about a having a nice, quiet dinner with your family at a cozy restaurant, only to be seated next to a Wall Street broker who does not realize that his voice is loud enough to wake up the dead. Being on public transport is even worse, as people tend to divulge details of their private life in the conversation without realizing that they are actually within earshot of the public.

I strongly believe that we should not let cellphones rule our lives. Anyone who steps foot into the cinema should just turn off the cellphone. If you put the cellphone on Silent mode and receive a call or text message during the movie without bothering to check it, what’s the point of leaving the cellphone on? All you’ll get is distraction from the movie as the vibration motor kicks in.

Another way to manage your cellphone usage better would be turning it off when you go to bed. Rest is rest, and if something is truly a matter of life and death, you will be contacted nontheless (unless, of course, your only mode of communication with the outside world is via your cellphone line). Why interrupt your precious snoozing time to pick up a call which is more often than not pointless, or even more frustratingly, a wrong number? Just turn the handset off when the lights go out, and you’ll find yourself awake the next day feeling much more rejuvenated.

The bottomline would be – manage your cellphone and not the other way around. Old habits die hard, but there is nothing a little determination and social etiquette cannot do. It would be interesting to hear how our readers fare with their cellphone habits. Feel free to leave a comment or two below. All bouquets and brickbats are welcome.