Keeping Your Tech Habits in Check

With a quick scan of a public place, like a mall or a train station, you can easily see how dependent we all are to technology. From adults talking on their phones to teens and children fiddling with their tablet or portable game device, people are hardly ever apart from the products of modern technology. But as we become more and more engrossed with texting or chatting on our mobile phones and tablets, we often forget how to conduct ourselves around other people. We forget how to act properly, to the point that we are seen as rude or annoying by those around us.

The following are some of the most annoying tech habits that we often overlook, and the things that we can do to address these modern day “problems.”

The obnoxious public phone conversation

Almost everyone owns a mobile phone nowadays, and we usually bring it anywhere we go. Phone service providers made it possible for people to do more with their phones, allowing them to conduct their business anywhere they are. Because of this, it’s unavoidable for some to make or answer calls in public. That’s normal and understandable, but that’s not the problem. The issue here is that you should be sensitive enough to keep your voice down, and try to keep the conversation short. There are others who didn’t sign up to listen to your chatter while you’re commuting to work. Not everyone would be too eager to hear about your latest gossip, or be forced to eavesdrop on one of your escapades. Keep your public conversations short by offering to call back when you get home or anywhere you can hold a lengthy talk without making other people feel uncomfortable.

The “fun” date with your friends and their mobile gadgets

Hanging out with friends usually means sharing a good meal, having a few rounds of beer, or talking about wonderful and outrageous experiences for hours. But nowadays, a “fun” date with your friends and loved ones usually revolve around mobile phones and tablets. Instead of talking and laughing their lungs out, people are now more into texting or playing game applications as a way to spend “quality” time. Everyone is on their phones texting or chatting, instead of talking to each other while waiting for their meals to be served. The best way to avoid this kind of situation is to agree beforehand that mobile phones and tablets should be turned off. You could set a friendly wager to see who checks their mobile phone first, say for instance, buying a round of beer for every time they check their phones.

Another version of this “fun” date with friends and mobile gadgets is when you or your friends can’t help but snap a photo of anything that you come across. If you turn every moment into a photo-op, it would really be impossible to catch up with your loved ones about the important events in their lives. Control the urge to snap a picture of the coffee mug or the cake, and try not to take a “selfy” every time you encounter a “good” background.

Technology has provided us with tools that can really make our lives more convenient. However, if we let these mobile devices takeover our lives, we can easily spiral out of control, to the point where others might find it difficult to be around us.


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