Research conducted by Telstra in its State of the Nation report has found more Australians are forgetting their manners and using their mobile phones inappropriately.
Results from the study showed four out of five respondents believe Australians are getting ruder but, less than half would call someone to heel on their bad behaviour.
According to Telstra consumer executive director, Rebekah O’Flaherty, while traditional gripes including talking loudly on public transport or using a mobile when driving are more common, smartphones have created a new behavioural trend.
“Modern technology with instant, one-click access to social networking and email had transformed the way Australians live, which is why we need a new set of etiquette rules to help turn around mobile misbehaviour,” she said.
O’Flaherty claims a third of locals witness poor mobile phone etiquette daily.
Telstra collaborated with etiquette expert, Anna Musson, to devise strategies on educating locals to avoid poor mobile phone etiquette.
“When it comes to navigating the complex world of mobile etiquette, I recommend a couple of simple tips,” she said. “Firstly, save it for later – there are some discussions that should not take place over a mobile phone or in public. Also, be ‘socially sensitive’ – a picture, status update or check-in can say a thousand words, so always think before you post.”
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Telstra’s research showed five key findings:
- 80 per cent of respondents said holding inappropriate conversations on the phone in public and using a phone while driving were the top gripes, with loud and annoying ringtones (55 per cent), listening to music loudly on a phone in public (54 per cent) and using a phone while crossing the road (40 per cent) following suit
- More than a third of Australians believe tablets have an impact on good etiquette
- One in two Australians dislike people talking on their mobile phones while on public transport, yet 57 per cent admit to regularly doing so. Similarly, one-third are annoyed when people cross the road while on the phone, but 27 per cent admit to doing it.
- Australians aged 65 years or more are more likely to be annoyed with people using mobile phones while driving
- Women are more prone to being annoyed with noisy tapping text messaging – 25 per cent as compared to 18 per cent for males
