The rulebook for manners has been re-written by today’s tech
Manners are being changed by the way we use our smartphones according to a new study. Research commissioned by Pitney Bowes, a global technology company, has highlighted a blacklist of ‘digital’ behaviours that most people consider to be rude.
Nearly half of those questioned in the survey (48%) believe that the rulebook for manners has been re-written, and that there is now a new ‘e-etiquette’ when it comes to social interaction.
The worst behaviour influenced by the smartphone is being disturbed by someone talking on a phone in a public area, with 71% of those surveyed feeling this is rude, up from 13% in 2013.
Second on the list was checking texts during a business lunch at 63%, up from 45% in 2013.
Despite the annoyance, most of those surveyed admitted to behaving in ways that they find rude, with 62% stating that they text while walking in a public place, 53% using capitals in texts or emails to make a point, and 48% talking on a phone in a public place.
Most people also believe that there are certain things that should always be handled in person rather than on a smartphone, including: ending a relationship; announcing a lifetime event (eg a birth); arranging a wedding; or organising a work social.
Andy Berry, VP EMEA, software solutions, Pitney Bowes, commented: “As we rapidly embrace new smartphone innovations, new social etiquettes are forming and testing how we communicate and work with each other. We can no longer ignore the impact that the smartphone is having on modern manners and interaction. At Pitney Bowes we’re working to help businesses connect the dots of their customers’ lives, so they can deliver the right messages through the right channels at the right time.”
The research by Pitney Bowes was carried out among 1,176 Britons.
