HUMAN FIRST. THEN MACHINE- A psychological perspective on being a smart phone jerk* Do not keep people waiting or ignored because you couldnt just help moping at, tapping or fingering your phone buttons... A recent study found that the average person checks their phone well over 100 times per day. Based on that, here are a few simple rules that can help you not become) a smartphone jerk: People trump phones. When out with others, always remember that people trump phones. Its a good mantra to recite and remember. Nothing feels more rude than trying to engage in conversation with someone who keeps looking at and interacting with their phone. So one very simple rule is to put flesh before machine—being with others always comes before checking the phone. Ask before picking up. Of course sometimes you really do need to take a call, check your email, read a text, or see how your favorite sports team is doing in a big game. But if someone is in your presence, ask him or her first if they mind you doing so. Showing respect to others goes a long way. Don’t make people wait. Don’t frustrate service providers, colleagues, friends, family, or anyone by making them wait for you to look up from your phone. Waiters and waitresses, store clerks, and neighbours are all are people too and it can frustrate them to no end to have to wait for someone to get their nose out of their phone before providing service or a response. Don’t multitask. Cognitive science research clearly shows that people really don’t do two things at once. Rather, they shift attention in quick busts between several focal points. So, you really aren’t checking your phone and listening to others at the same time. Youre just quickly shifting your attention between multiple tasks and diminishing your attention to both. Three words: Kindness, graciousness, and respect. If you try to be kind, gracious, and respectful to others, the reality of smartphone use and abuse will become more clear. If you start all of your actions with kindness, graciousness, and respect you really can’t go wrong...
Posted on: Sat, 10 May 2014 21:17:00 +0000
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