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5 Simple Rules to Avoid Being a Smartphone Jerk

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Smartphones have only been around for a few years but they have certainly taken the world by storm. As one of my college students told me before getting one myself, “Even second graders have them!” Admit it… you’re addicted to your Smartphone, aren’t you? A recent study found that the average person checks their phone well over 100 times per day. Watch people anywhere and they’re on these devices constantly. So, I wasn’t surprised when NPR contacted me the other day to discuss Smartphone etiquette (http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=301819223) after reading one of my Psychology Today blog posts regarding this topic (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/do-the-right-thing/201305/are...).

In a nutshell there are a few simple rules that can help you not be (or become) a Smartphone jerk!

These include:

1. People trump phones. When with others always remember than people trump phones. Perhaps this is a good mantra to recite and remember. Nothing feels more rude than when you are trying to engage in conversation with someone (or just be in their presence) and they keep looking at and interacting with their phone. So, one very simple rule is to always remember that flesh trumps machine or being with others trumps looking at the phone.

2. Ask before doing. Of course sometimes you really do need to take a call, check your email, read a text, or see how your favorite sports team is doing in a big game. But if someone is in your presence, ask them if they mind you doing so. Just ask before doing! It goes a long way and shows respect to others.

3. Don’t make people wait. Don’t frustrate service providers, colleagues, friends, family, or anyone by making them wait for you to look up from your phone. Waiters and waitresses, clerks at stores, baristas at coffee shops, not to mention friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues all are people too and it can be so frustrating to no end to have to wait for someone to get their nose out of their phone to provide service or a response.

4. Don’t multitask. Research in cognitive science clearly shows that people really don’t do two things at once. Rather, they shift attention in quick busts between several focal points. So, you really aren’t checking your phone and listening to others at the same time. You are just quickly shifting your attention between multiple tasks.

5. Three words to remember: Kindness, graciousness, and respect! Remember if you try to be kind, gracious, and respectful to others, the details of Smartphone use and abuse will become more clear. If you start all of your actions with kindness, graciousness, and respect you really can’t go wrong!

Just being mindful of these 5 simple Smartphone rules and you won’t become a Smartphone jerk!  

So what do you think?  

Check out my webpage at www.scu.edu/tplante and follow me on Twitter @ThomasPlante.

Copyright 2014 Thomas G. Plante, PhD, ABPP

 


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