Today, mobile phones have become an almost irreplaceable device as people are able to stay linked to friends, family and workplaces every hour of the day. The convenience, entertainment and extra functions they offer have led to their use by the masses in countries all around the world. However, while their popularity has proliferated, unfortunately mobile phone etiquette and common courtesy has become a somewhat slower concept rarely used.
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As mobile phone usage rises, more people are becoming increasingly annoyed at how people use their phones in professional and social environments. The result, as CellManners.com (2001) explains, is Cell Wars - "a social upheaval occurring in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century resulting from the introduction of the cell phone without an accompanying set of manners." An Internet survey involving 4955 votes, undertaken by CellManners.com (2001), showed 53 per cent of votes agreed that mobile phones should be banned in restaurants, churches, public transit, performances and libraries.
Other situations warranting complaint included people loudly discussing personal matters in public places; intrusive ring tones; not turning off phones during social occasions such as in cinemas, weddings and funerals; ringing during serious business meetings, lectures and seminars; using mobile phones while driving and not paying attention to the road; and interrupting conversations to answer a mobile phone call.
Of a more serious nature, under the Commonwealth Crimes Act 1914 - Part VIIB, Section 85ZE, it is an offence for “a person to knowingly or recklessly use a telecommunications service supplied by a carrier in such a way as would be regarded by reasonable persons being, in all the circumstances, offensive� (Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, 2003). The addition of cameras on mobile phones has led to some people recording inappropriate images and sending them. They are also often misused to take photos in places where normal cameras are not allowed.
The revolution of mobile phones has radically changed the world of telecommunications. Society has to invent and implement rules in order for this device to be used without creating frustration and annoyance. Even today, mobile phone etiquette is still evolving.
Telstra (2000) offers a few tips in regards to respecting the personal space of others and using a mobile phone. These include turning off loud or annoying ring tones; adjusting ring tone or volume to the social environment; putting phone on ‘silent’ or ‘vibrator’ to avoid disturbing others; speaking quietly rather than shouting; keeping conversations brief; letting mobile phones divert to message services if in the company of others; finding a private place to talk if around a group of people; never dial, talk and drive; and asking permission of a person before recording his/her image on a mobile phone.
Three.com.au: Mobile Etiquette
Mobile Phones - Security and Privacy
Pornography And Internet Technologies-Mobile Phones
Other Mobile Communication Links:
Naomi 15:42, 16 Oct 2004 (EST)
