Bad phone behavior. We all know how to spot it, but few of us own up to it.
And Microsoft wants it to stop.
To commemorate the launch of its Windows Phone 7 smartphone, the software
giant partnered with Harris Interactive on a phone survey of more than 2,000
adults to find out what bad phone behaviors are most irksome and to encourage
consumers to change their mobile phone habits.
When it comes to bad phone behavior, 72 percent of those surveyed said it
was one of their pet peeves, but only 18 percent admitted guilt when it came to
behaving badly themselves.
Less than half—48 percent—said that talking on a mobile phone in a public
restroom was inappropriate, and 40 percent said they had used a mobile phone in
a bathroom.
That practice was a dicey one for Generation Y—19 percent, about one in five
of respondents, said they'd dropped their mobile phone in the toilet. Of that
group, aged 18 to 24, 64 percent said they'd lost their phone somewhere
unusual, like in the refrigerator or in the couch.
When it comes to talking and dining, 85 percent said it was inappropriate to
use your phone on a date, but if you're with friends or family, it's not so
bad. Almost 40 percent of respondents said they'd used their phone when out
with friends or family.
Despite finding it a faux pas, one quarter of respondents used their phones
during a date, with that number going up to 40 percent for the under-24 set.
When it comes to religious ceremonies, wakes and funerals, 90 percent of
respondents say it's not OK to use your phone. At weddings, however, that drops
to 82 percent.
And with the approaching holidays, keep in mind that 47 percent of mobile
phone owners under 35 communicated with colleagues or checked work e-mail at
holiday gatherings. About 25 percent of male phone owners between the ages of
18 and 34 used their phones to find somewhere to go to get away from the
gathering, and 11 percent used the phones to fake an illness to make an escape.
