Once you’ve read that title, surely you’re thinking that the author is some sort of tech nazi who is clearly against smartphones. No, that’s not true, although it could be possible to “survive” without a smartphone even in 2024. Smartphones are wonderful inventions, and they can clearly make our lives easier if we use them the right way.
The problem is that so many people out there are addicted to their smartphones in a way that bothers other people to some degree. For instance, it’s very annoying to go out on a date with someone and actually try to speak to that potential life partner, but the person keeps using the smartphone and barely says a word to you.
As I said previously, I personally have a smartphone that I love. But guess what? I also love those situations when I can actually have real-life connections with another human being and when I can enjoy the wonders of nature without necessarily taking my smartphone out.
Let’s talk about the worst habits that some smartphone users have in public. If you’re among them, please quit those behaviors and try to put yourself in the shoes of those around you to understand how annoying you are, regardless of how much you may be willing to impress them with your powerful and expensive smartphone!
Bringing your phone out to win an argument
Surely, you know the following scenario very well: two guys contradict one another on a certain subject, such as what country has the biggest airport, and suddenly, one of them brings out his phone to Google the question. Well, we all know how to look something up on search engines nowadays, right? So, what’s the purpose of bringing out the phone in the first place? Wouldn’t it be a lot more reasonable, useful, and exciting to prove to the guy you’re talking to that you have the answer without searching for it online? What’s the purpose of the argument in the first place if one of those participating brings out his smartphone to search for the answer on the web? The argument suddenly becomes completely useless, as it would have been better if the two interlocutors stood at home and asked Google or ChatGPT about the biggest airport in the world or the man’s role in the Universe.
I miss those days when arguments were authentic and real when people actually tried to think for themselves. Those were the real arguments, as nobody has more respect and consideration for you if you find the answer to a certain question only by looking for it online, especially if you do it in the middle of the discussion itself.
Using a phone at a meeting/date
Let’s say you speak to John/Mary and establish that you two will meet at a certain place and at a certain time. Both of you need to discuss stuff that’s important for you, such as business or romantic inquiries. But when the meeting/date takes place, you or your partner pulls out the smartphone and starts to scroll on social media, which also translates to doing nothing useful. How does the other person feel in such a situation, especially if he or she actually tries to initiate a conversation without success? I’ll let you guess the answer, and this time, you can even look for the answer online.
Using a phone at the bar/club
Guess why do people go to a bar or club? That’s right: to socialize! How could you possibly socialize if someone tries to talk to you and you’re constantly occupied with your smartphone? Too many young people have this habit today, which kills all the fun of going out and actually try to have a real-life conversation with someone.
We get it: there are situations when you get bored, and using the phone even at the club becomes a good idea. But being immersed in your smartphone’s content when other people are trying to talk to you is at least unpolite.
Using a phone at the cinema
Let’s say you’re at the cinema to watch a new movie, and suddenly, a guy standing in one of the rows in front of you pulls out his flagship smartphone and uses the full power of its luminosity to do God knows what and why with the phone. In the cinema, where it’s complete darkness apart from the big display in front of the spectators to showcase the movie, using a smartphone in its full luminosity glory can be very painful for those who are in the rows above yours. The guy could at least turn the luminosity at a lower level, but no, some of them are just too much of show-offs. No, nobody will be impressed if you have the latest Samsung or iPhone in those situations when you bother and distract them from the movie.
Not activating the DND/silent mode when you should
If you didn’t bother to activate the silent/Do Not Disturb mode when you’re at the movie theater, church, or during an important meeting, that’s pretty unpolite. Even teachers in universities nowadays have their phones ringing in the middle of their courses or seminars, and they actually interrupt those courses or seminars to respond. Is that really necessary? Wouldn’t it have been a lot more reasonable to wait for the course or seminar to finish and do whatever you want with your phone? The course/seminar lasts for about two hours, while the rest of the day has many more hours for you to spend as you want.
There you have it, a little summary of some of the most annoying habits that many of us have while using our smartphones. Feel free to share your opinion with us in the comments and tell us about your own similar negative experiences!