There’s a collective agreement that cell phones are becoming a bit of a culprit in daily life, from the inability to live in the moment like we used to to the negative impact they have on relationships.
Last week, we told you how Toronto was considering a ban on texting and walking.
But it’s not just about safety. For all the convenience, entertainment, and stimulation they offer, cell phones can invite a lot of annoyance too.
Mobile app agency Plastic Mobile wanted to find out exactly what habits people found the most annoying (as well as which ones they were most guilty of), so they asked 500 people to share their top smartphone pet peeves.
Photo: Plastic Mobile
“We research how and why users interact with their smartphone devices, but have never, until now, looked at how we view how users interact with their smartphone devices,” shares Plastic Mobile President Melody Adhami.
Those surveyed rated each smartphone etiquette fail on a scale that ranged from “indifferent, “slightly annoyed,” “moderately annoyed,” or “extremely annoyed” all the way to “enraged.” Each question also asked whether the survey-taker was guilty of the behaviour themselves.
Photo: Plastic Mobile
They did so to measure the degree of hypocrisy concerning smartphone etiquette (you know it’s true).
It wasn’t so much the order that Plastic found most interesting, but the sheer percentage of people that were annoyed by each grievance.
For example, over 90 per cent of people were annoyed by the top two, with “People talking on their phones in movies” edging out “People talking loudly on their phones in public places” – 97.7 per cent to 93.5 percent.
Photo: Plastic Mobile
“The purpose of this study was simply to make smartphone users aware of how they come across to others when they break these unwritten rules,” says Adhami. “In our industry we want people to be using their phones more…maybe just not in front of us at the movies.”
Most smartphone pet peeves are pretty relatable.
– 92.4 per cent of people are annoyed when their friends use their phone at dinner, yet 64 per cent of people are guilty of it themselves.
– 51.7 per cent of people are extremely annoyed by those who speak loudly on their phone in public places.
– 36.5 per cent of people are enraged when others don’t look from their cellphones while walking in crowds.
– People are most guilty of using their phones in checkout lines (66.5 per cent), but only 44 per cent are annoyed by it.
– Only 24. 9 per cent of people are even moderately annoyed when people who break up text into multiple messages.
– 66.4 per cent of people still eat while on the phone.
– 1 person admitted to taking a selfie at a funeral.
– 3 people admitted to having Nickleback as a phone ringtone.
– 52 per cent of people admitted swiping through people’s photos when they give them their phone.
– 97.7 per cent of people are annoyed by those who talk on their phones in bathrooms.
If you find yourself guilty of any or all of the above, you’re probably annoying others on the regular. At least you can take solace in the fact that they’re likely guilty of the same.
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