Save the Children launches Phoneless Friday on Friday 7th October, a cheeky challenge to try and refresh the nations’ manners by going offline for a day with the potential to rediscover the forgotten phenomena of face to face conversations. There are over 43 million smartphone users in the UK, and a recent OfCom report revealed that people are spending over 24 hours a week online and sending a whopping 262 million texts a day. It’s therefore easy to see why 2.4 million Brits admitted they ‘would not be able to cope’ if they accidentally left their phones at home.
The British penchant for good manners and socially appropriate behaviour is renowned the world over, but new research from Save the Children reveals that the rising number of smartphone users is changing our view of bad etiquette. Texting whilst talking to someone (64%) is now deemed to be ruder than being late (54%) or not giving up a seat for someone who needs it (63%). Most shockingly, whilst 97% of people said dumping someone via text message was unacceptable; over 4 million people admitted it had happened to them.
When it comes to bad phone etiquette and our biggest bug bears, talking loudly on the phone on public transport (66%), texting at the dinner table (53%) and hearing music from other people’s phones (46%) are considered some of the top phone no-nos.
The nation’s biggest phone fails include 17% of people who admitted walking into something when using their phones, with one in ten missing their stop on public transport because they were distracted by their handsets. Sending an embarrassing text to the wrong person (19%) and getting drunk and regretting a message that has been sent were also highlighted (18%).
