Intel talks ringtone rudeness

MOBILE DEVICES CAN turn people into rude, obnoxious offenders of etiquette, according to new research by Harris Interactive and sponsored by Intel.

The survey, carried out online between 8-10 April 2009 in the US, polled 2,160 adults, aged 18 and older. It found that some 90 per cent of US adults claimed to be "frustrated by others' lack of etiquette when using mobile devices, including laptops, netbooks and smart phones," with 72 per cent saying their pet peeve was people who texted whilst driving. HONK.

Sixty-three per cent of yanks got cranky about others talking too loudly on mobile devices in public, not to mention the 55 per cent who felt uncomfortable when they realized they were actually eavesdropping on "private matters." [‘Yeah, so that test for gonnhorea came back negative babe, you're off the hook...']

Bad news for teens is that 55 per cent of adults found texting in the presence of others offensive, while a shocking 80 per cent said they had witnessed "someone doing something strange while on a call or accessing the Internet via a mobile device." This intrigued us INQers, but we were disappointed when Intel's press release went on to define strange as "making a cashier wait until a phone call is completed and texting while driving."

Slightly more promising in the strangeness stakes was "using a laptop in a public bathroom" and "hearing typing and conversations at a church, funeral and doctor's office." And to think the definition of good etiquette used to be refraining from conversations about sex, politics or religion at the dinner table.

Whilst a hypocritical 82 per cent of adults say they've been annoyed in one way or another by others misusing their mobiles in public, only 38 per cent fess up to having done the same.

56 percent got snippy about people not using their mobile table manners at cafes and restaurants, whilst a surprisingly lower number (just 47 per cent) found it irritating to have to put up with interruption at cinemas and concerts. So, talking with your mouth full takes the cake on this one.

Again, slightly bizarrely, 40 per cent of people really don't like to deal with mobile meatheads when out shopping, but a much lower 26 per cent care about phoning and flushing in public toilets [drop and dial? - Ed]

The aptly named Genevieve Bell, Intel's very own cultural anthropologist, noted that the problem with mobile manners was that "We have more and more technology in our lives," making it "hardly surprising that we are still working out what is socially appropriate and what isn't."

Bell reckons we are still at the very early stages of mobile etiquette evolution and that it may take us a while yet to wrap our cell frazzled brains around "techno-etiquettes."

So, what to do? Just look to common sense for heaven's sakes, cries Bell. If it's illegal to text and drive, don't.

Oh, yeah, and you might not want to drunken dial your ex from a public toilet anytime soon either. µ