Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Mobile Etiquette

The 2012 Intel Mobile Etiquette Survey is out. It seems that people are doing worse over time, however. According to this Wall Street Journal video, 81% of adults think manners are bad, comparing to 75% of last year. Here are some bad examples on the top pet peeves list:

  • 77% - texting or typing while driving
  • 64% - talking too loud in public
  • 55% - having the volume too loud in public
  • 59% - sharing too much negative information
  • 55% - sharing inappropriate or explicit photos
  • 53% - sharing the information that is deemed to be private

Texting while driving is prohibited by law in most places. Recently, there are also communities that began issuing fines to those who are texting while walking. It is possible that more communities will ban texting for pedestrians soon.

This survey also reminds companies and people not to share too much personal or negative updates in social media. Too much “irrelevant” information will irritate the audience and friends. When somebody “unfriends” a person, there must be a reason, right?

Social media is not about the person (or the company) who owns the accounts; it is more about the audience. When sharing information, we need to ask ourselves: “What’s in it for the audience?”

Even when people share useful information with their friends, it is also very important to respect others’ privacy. For example, several of my friends are looking for a house now. When I found some useful information (e.g. a highly recommended mobile app for house hunt), I did not post that information in my friends’ timeline or mention their name on Twitter. Who knows if my friends are ready to let the whole world know that they are looking for a house now? Instead, I sent them an e-mail about the app.

What are the most annoying mobile manners you have seen? Please share with us and let everyone avoid those bad manners.

Some relevant discussions:

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