Day 49 - What is phone etiquette?

Today many people use cell phones or smart phones. Wherever we are, we can easily spot people carrying their mobile phones. Even little kids have their own cell phones. Can you imagine your life without a cell phone? It would be very uncomfortable and inconvenient. Cell phones and smart phones surely have changed our lives in many ways. It makes it much easier to get a hold of others. Do you think that a cell phone is necessary? Do you know how to use all the functions in your cell phone? Then, are you also aware of cell phone etiquette? Cell phone etiquette is considered just as important as table etiquette.
First of all, how many times a day do you text? In my case, I text my friends and family all the time. Texting is a very effective way to communicate with others. In order to keep good texting manners, there are some rules that you must remember. Use magic words like PLZ which means please and TY which means thank you to be polite to people. However, when you use abbreviations, use something that we all understand. If an abbreviation is not popular or common, people get confused. Don't text bad words to anyone at all. Texting can cause more misunderstandings than face to face conversation because you can only read the message. Therefore, be very careful when you text jokes. Even if it is not your ntention, you can offend others without even knowing it. Choose your words wisely because once you text them you cannot take them back. Unless it is an emergency, try to avoid texting while you are having a face-to-face conversation with someone else.
Next, you should always lower your voice when you are taking calls in public places, and always remember not to talk about anything private in a loud voice; nobody needs to know about your personal life, and nobody wants to know about it. Some places such as schools and libraries have certain policies about cell phones. So you should always find out what kind of rules they have. When you are in a church service, make sure you turn off your cell phone; otherwise it can be quite disturbing to others. And when you choose your ring tone, don't choose anything that can be annoying or offensive to others. Some young people like to express themselves through their ringtones. However, something that is pleasant to you can be a pain to someone else. In conclusion, some young people prefer to change their cell phones occasionally. They believe that having a new trendy cell phone is a cool thing to do. However, carrying a new cell phone does not make you a better person than others because depending on how you use it, you can be ill mannered or well-mannered. And that's what counts.

Expressions


1. "get a hold of" : to contact


2. "face to face" : in person


3. "that's what counts" : something that is important