Voices

Love The One You’re With

You know the people. Constantly on their PDAs, half present in conversations, ignoring human interaction when it’s right in front of them for texting or Internet browsing or both, obsessed with checking every email.  All Business blogger Susan Davis offers up her Top 10 List of using handheld devices in an emotionally responsible way – and perhaps we could all learn a lesson or two.

I won’t post her whole blog, you can read it here, but will highlight some of my favorites:

•    Put your PDA away if you're in a restaurant -- unless you have a sick child at home, your wife is about to go into labor, or you're waiting for a jury verdict.  It's just rude to ignore the people you're eating with.

•    Put your PDA away if you're in a meeting. Sure, putting your device on the table is the new badge of Very Important People, but when you start playing with your PDA instead of listening to your boss's report, her estimation of your true importance may diminish quickly.

•    Put your PDA away if a child is trying to get your attention. (Not sure why? Go listen to Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" again.)

•    Put your PDA away whenever you're having a conversation with a real person. The minute you start fiddling with your gadget, you give the impression that the other person isn't important. It's the technological equivent of picking lint off your trousers.

•    Don't check emails or text messages while driving. Ever. You could kill someone.

Thanks, Susan, for the reminder. 

Have some PDA etiquette of your own or disagree with Susan? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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