Assignment #10

Cell Phones, Today

Maclean’s magazine article “Public display of disaffection” discusses the controversial use of cell phones at inappropriate times through statistics and the opinion of professionals. The article begins with the idea of a “social-media age,” which in present day means that cell phones can be used almost at any time such as when talking to another person or texting while at an official event. The article questions: is it proper etiquette to use cell phones in these types of situations? In the opinion of Pamela Eyring, director of the Protocol School of Washington, it is rude, period. She has identified the “four stages of BlackBerry abandonment,” which are: confusion, discomfort, irritation and outrage. Another interesting statistic is that ten percent of people under the age of twenty-five didn’t see anything wrong with texting during sex. It is clear by the article that the new “social-media generation” has a problem with cell phones and the statistics show it.

Many people would completely agree with the author’s message in the article “Public display of disaffection” in Maclean’s magazine. It is extremely disrespectful to use cell phones in any type of face-to-face social situation, as well as in any sort of public hearing or event. The statistics are clear, however, and many people would believe that they are absolutely absurd. If ten percent of our generation think that it is okay to text during sex it they definitely need to wake up and re-think about our stance on cell phone use. It is embarrassing to be a part of this generation if that is how people that age think. There needs to be some reformation on how cell phones are used in public and maybe even some sort of regulation or rule about texting. Everyone needs to stop thinking about our cell phones and put our mind towards making it unacceptable to text during inappropriate times.