The 21st century is the age of webcams, laptop computers, iPods and the ubiquitous mobile phone. Nearly everyone owns a cellphone these days. It�s handy, and definitely an asset when you�re on the move. But if you�re the type who forgets to leave the phone on vibrator mode in the middle of a college lecture, movie theatre, or even in the middle of a meeting, you could be in trouble.
�Mobile phone etiquette is something many people don�t adhere to,� says first year Economics Honours student, Jaideep Tripathi. Moreover, it can be really irritating when someone�s cell starts ringing in the middle of a library or a movie. Garima Sharma, a second year English Honours student from Ramjas College agrees.
While mobile phones are critical in keeping you safe and connected, they could prove to be double edged swords and dangerous too. Premilla Thapar admits that she is forever worried about her daughter�s safety. �She�s a law student and is always on the cell. I am so afraid she may meet with an accident while she is driving,� she says.
According to her even �hands-free� sets can be dangerous because conversations too can be distracting.�
Though most colleges allow cellphones in for emergency situations, students generally tend to misuse them. Says Saikat Ghosh, Lecturer, English Dept, Khalsa College, �A lot of students send SMSs and you can�t really tell what they are up to beneath their desks. Cellphones don�t really disturb me if I am teaching with concentration. But, I guess students should be considerate enough and not misuse the facility extended to them.�� Student counsellors advise turning on the vibrator option or the voice-mail.
Apart from the obvious disturbance factor there are other things about cell phones that are just not in keeping with the right etiquette, ringtones and untimed calls for instance. �My girlfriend has one of the most irritating ringtones on her cell,�� says Jaideep, adding, �it�s so loud and raucous that it ruins the mood, the moment and destroys my concentration.�� Some others like Garima complain that many people continue to talk over the cell even if they are with you. �My boyfriend does that and I am forced to listen to whatever he�s saying even when I don�t want to,� complains Garima.
So, has the cellphone turned into some kind of nightmare for those at the receiving end? Most corporate recruiters say that today�s kids multitask: IM-ing, e-mailing and reading, all while chatting on their cellphones or listening to their MP3 players.
Technology, they say has allowed them to blend their school/college work into their personal lives so seamlessly and wirelessly, that they balk at the image of a rigid nine-to-five office routine.
Are there rules that can be followed? Is there any such thing as mobile manners? Yes, is the answer. If you�re in a public place, like an elevator, a classroom or a library, keep your cellphone on vibrator mode and rely on your voicemail to take your calls. �If you receive an important call while driving, pull your car over to the pavement and tell your caller to call back, or that you�ll call back,�� advises Kumar.
Adds Tripathi, �After I heard a friend of mine break up with his girl on the cell, I�ve never been able to have an emotional conversation with my girlfriend on the mobile. Not only is your whole life in the public domain but you may never know who is overhearing your conversation.��
Mind your manners:
* Use an earpiece in noisy locations.
* Tell callers when you�re talking on a mobile, so they can anticipate distractions or disconnections.
* Never take a call while in a public place or place of importance. There are things that are more important than your caller. If it�s urgent, the person will probably call back.
* When you take a call, ensure that you conduct your conversation at a polite distance, and out of earshot, of your companions. Communicate without
attracting attention.
* All conversations on a cell phone should be kept brief and to the point.
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