Smartphones Dial Up Etiquette Debate

Some call tapping rude; others call it necessary

By M. Morris, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 22, 2009 10:20 AM CDT

(Newser) – Most companies don’t have rules about smartphone use at work—but with more people eying their BlackBerrys during meetings, a debate is raging over smartphone conduct, the New York Times reports. Many call excessive BlackBerrying the height of rudeness, but others hold that today’s world requires constant electronic availability. “Consultants who aren’t readily available 24/7 tend to languish,” says a media consultant.

For some, displaying smartphones is “a not-so-subtle way of signaling ‘I’m connected. I’m busy. I’m important,’” he adds. Plus, BlackBerrying “just seems to add to the productive energy” in meetings, where attendees exchange some ideas electronically, says an advertiser. But tapping “can be every bit as much if not more distracting” than talking, notes another consultant. “And it’s pretty insulting to the speaker.”

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In this file photo, a customer samples a Sprint Nextel BlackBerry Curve at a Sprint Nextel store in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo)

A customer holds up her Apple iPhone, right, which is shown next to a Blackberry Curve, left, at a Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif. (AP Photo)

Obama aides check their BlackBerrys in January. (AP Photo)

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You’ll have half the participants BlackBerrying each other as a submeeting, with a running commentary on the primary meeting. BlackBerrys have become like cartoon thought bubbles. - State Department official Philippe Reines

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Smartphones Dial Up Etiquette Debate