25 etiquette mistakes you need to stop making by 30

Earbuds are a staple in our technology-laden world and for good reason. But you can take tech too far. Too many people these days will leave one earbud in or, in the case of wireless Air Pods, leave both in, during conversations and this is a huge etiquette breach, says  science-based manners expert, Amy Alkon. This can make the other person feel like you don’t care what they’re saying and you aren’t really listening (which may be true). Always take out your earbuds or remove your headphones when speaking with someone in real life, even if the sound is already turned off.

No one needs to hear your conversation with your spouse, the details of your work report, or the results of your physical exam yet people will inadvertently share these and other highly personal information with many strangers when they leave their phone on speakerphone in a public space. It’s rude, annoying, and could open you up to problems so don’t do it. If you really need to take a call, just answer it the normal way and do your best to remove yourself from the group. Also, no one loves your music playlists as much as you do so stop blasting your tunes.

Here are some mobile phone etiquette rules you should be following – but aren’t.

Nothing will incur the wrath of your fellow citizens like using your phone to text, play games, or heaven forbid, talk, during a movie showing in a theatre. “Turn off your phone before you enter a theatre, place of worship, dinner party or any other place that involves other people who don’t want to hear your buzzing,” says etiquette expert, Adeodata Czink, “If your calls, texts, or emails are more important than the people you are with or the activity you are doing, you might want to reconsider coming.”

When someone thanks you, a common response these days is the casual ‘no problem’ or ‘no worries’ but that’s an etiquette ‘don’t’, Czink says. “All the other person hears is ‘problem’ making them think that their request was an inconvenience,” she explains. “Say instead ‘my pleasure’ or ‘you are welcome.’”

A common complaint these days is that kindness and compassion are in short supply these days. You can change this for the better by looking for little ways to help others and making sure to thank them when they do the same for you, Czink says. “If someone holds the door for you, ‘thank you’ is needed, even if it’s just a smile or a nod of your head,” she explains. “People aren’t there to be your servants, they’re doing you a kindness so show gratitude.”

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Source: RD.com