Friend or Phone: Your Guide to Cell Phone Etiquette

I love my cell phone, but it hascaused problems. One time, I was enjoying dinner with a wonderful guy when I felt my thigh vibrating. I answered the call right there—and it was my ex on the line. Awkward. If I had just followed proper cell-phone etiquette, I could have saved some face, time and excuses.
 
While most people ignore cell-phone etiquette, it’s actually very simple: Don’tbe “that obnoxious person on the cell phone.” We all know who that person is: that guy who texts his friends while you’re spilling your soul, that girl who gossips on the phone during lunch, that embarrassing father who answers a call in the 24-hour quiet room during parents’ weekend.
 
To avoid being that person, here are some cell-phone etiquette guidelines:
 

DON’T
Text-and-talk
If you’re having a real-world conversation, don’t text someone else! Your friend will be offended that you’re dividing your attention.
 
Be conspicuous
When you talk on the phone, you’re raising your voice more than you know. Consider this when you decide to answer a call: Don’t answer a call in the library or another quiet place.
 

Exclude your company
I should have considered this during my dinner date. Don’t answer a call when you’re having a meal or hanging out with your friends. They’ll feel like they’re third-wheeling your phone-mance.

Cheat
In real life, you don’t get a phone-a-friend lifeline, so don’t text your friends for help during a test.
 
Become the cell-phone police
Even if your friends are blatantly breaking cell-phone etiquette, you’re breaking socialetiquette if you grab their phones and lecture them about how immature they are.

DO
Text when alone to make yourself feel less alone
Save your text conversations for when you’re awkwardly eating by yourself in Usdan or waiting in the cold for the BranVan.
 
Let the phone ring
If your phone does ring while you’re in the library, go outside and thenanswer your phone. You won’t disturb anyone’s studies and the person calling you won’t have to decipher your overly-loud library-whispers.
 
Excuse yourself
If you get an important call when you’re with friends, tell them you need to answer it and then leave. Make sure you find a place where you can talk without bothering anyone.
 
Look up information
If you have a smart phone, use it to be smarter! Look up words you forgot, calculate the restaurant tip or MapQuest your way into Boston.
 
Set a good example
Your friends will mirror your polite cell-phone behavior. But what if your boyfriend nevergets the hint that he should stop checking Facebook when you tell him about your day? Calmly say you’d appreciate it if both of you put down your phones when together. Let’s be honest: It’s impossibleto compete with Facebook notifications and Angry Birds apps.