Of Netiquette Bulls, Boors & Bores

Posted on: Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Posted in: Unplugging, Blog | Leave a comment

photo by Kirk Horsted

BreakAway hates to be so fussy about the omnipresence of screen obsession. But really, aren’t we all tiring of people who can’t drive, socialize or—brace yourself—sit on the toilet without a laptop or cell phone? According to a recent survey commissioned by Intel, 75% of respondents think it’s perfectly fine to play with your digital friend while on the toilet.

That stinks. And it begs a lot of unsavory questions. Do they text with one hand while wiping with the other? Can men navigate screens while standing up and doing their business? Do users wash their hands AND their digitalia upon completion? Can they keep their screen clean and germ-free?

The irony here, to quote the news release, is that

69% agreed that violations of these unspoken mobile etiquette guidelines, such as checking e-mails, sending text messages and making phone calls while in the company of others, are unacceptable.”

Hmmm, methinks that we all feel fussy about others’ bad manners—but give ourselves a pass when we wish to pass gas in public.

But then, we’re all just trying to eek out a decent living. And these tools have become the new way to Dress for Success, right? So say the majority, since

55% agreed that the nature of business today demands people always be connected via mobile devices, even if it means taking a laptop on vacation or answering a call during a meal.”

Oh well, all is not lost. At least God still earns the respect of total attention: