it's not me. swear. (thoughts on cell phones + civility)

 

[image error]If you follow my blog or know me "in person" - you know that civility is a big issue for me. I wrote this piece on cell phones in 2009, and launched the Free-Range Social Media Campaign earlier this year. 

From flipping people off because they're driving too slow to talking on our cell phones while we're checking out at the grocery store, I believe we are losing our way.

We live in an increasingly nervous world and so much of the political, environmental, economic, and social uncertainty that fuels our anxiety feels out of our control.

I understand how this anxiety leads to rage, impatience, and the "who cares if I'm on the phone, she's just a waitress" attitude. These are all easy ways to discharge stress and fear.

 

But here's the thing - our behaviors are choices and they are completely within our control. Unlike some of the other stressors that we have to navigate on a daily basis, we can ease some of the pressure that we all feel by treating each other with more respect.

Last month, during SXSW, I attended a brunch hosted by Mighty Events and Intel. The topic was "Civility." According to a recent "mobile etiquette" survey commissioned by Intel:

U.S. adults see an average of five mobile "offenses," including the use of mobile devices while driving or talking loudly on a mobile phone in public every day.
Among the respondents who reported seeing offenses, 56% saw car drivers using mobile devices, 48% saw people using one in a restroom and 32% saw them used in movie theaters 
Top pet peeves include talking while driving and talking in a loud voice in public places
74% of survey participants believe that poor mobile manners have created a new type of rage (like road rage but directed at technology users)
65% say they become angry or outraged when they see these offenses . . . YET
20% say they continue to misuse technology because "everyone else is doing it." 

 

I had the please of meeting Genevieve Bell at the brunch. She is an Intel fellow who heads up research into human interactions and experience at Intel Labs. She explained, "New digital technologies are becoming a mainstay in consumers' lives, but we haven't yet worked out for ourselves, our families, communities and societies what all the right kinds of behaviors and expectations will be."

Here's what I propose we do to affect a small dose of change: Leave a comment telling us one thing that you are currently doing that you'd be willing to change for one week. For example, talking while you're walking down the street or ordering fast food, or answering the phone when you're at a restaurant. 

Also tell us one thing that really, really bugs you. My one thing is here. I'm going to give up talking while I'm grocery shopping. Last week I had to hang up on my friend because I moved through the line faster than I anticipated and the butcher was talking to me (I follow the "no phone while talking to customer service folks" rule). My friend was right in the middle of an important story and I felt the squeeze. 

Thanks to Intel for the survey and Genevieve for this interesting research!