Be Courteous: Cell Phone Etiquette Tips From AT&T

Some say Common Courtesy is all but lost in our society. We see drivers filled with road rage, young people being disrespectful to elders and fewer and fewer thank you notes arriving in our mailboxes. And being more attached than ever to our mobile devices, we also see some really bad habits creeping up in our cell phone use. So, with National Common Courtesy Day today, AT&T is offering 10 tips on how you can be a more courteous mobile phone user:

- Schedule your text messages –Rather than responding directly at 1:30 a.m., go ahead and draft that message, but schedule it to be sent at a more appropriate time. You can do this within the text message for newer android devices and can find apps like AutoText for iPhones.

- Group texts – Avoid if you can. Those who don’t want them can opt-out in settings.

- Discreet notifications – Several smartwatches and allow you to be notified of messages with a vibration on your wrist. (Perfect for business meetings.)

- At events – Turn down the brightness on your phone and if you must text the sitter, do so with the sound off.

- DO NOT talk in public with the speaker on.

- DO NOT “cell yell” – You’ll be heard just fine if you speak in your regular voice.

- DO NOT talk on your phone in public bathroom stalls or at the register in the grocery line.

- DO NOT take embarrassing pictures/video of strangers or friends to post on social media.

- DO use a hands-free headsets to talk while driving or while playing games in public.

- DO use DriveMode app – Disable text while behind the wheel. Don’t be that driver who is texting on the road, endangering your life and those of others.