Cell Phones and Holidays?

[AreaCode707]

Yeesh! I see what they're trying to say, but it's such a thinly veiled marketing ploy!

Seattle Times article

With many families gathered at the Thanksgiving table this week, T-Mobile USA is releasing a study today that encourages families to feel free to use their mobile phones during holiday parties or ? get this ? even the dinner table.

The Bellevue company said out of the 1,000 people interviewed, 70 percent of young adults and 56 percent of parents said they made or answered calls during a holiday gathering. About 35 percent of young adults said they read or sent an e-mail or text message under the dinner table at a holiday family gathering.

"There's a sense of guilt among some young people about using their cellphone or texting device during the holidays," said Tracy Wellens, T-Mobile's vice president of consumer insights. About 67 percent of parents and young adults agree it is OK to use their mobile phone during holiday gatherings.

But to maintain the proper etiquette, ever-helpful T-Mobile issued a number of dos and don'ts drafted by Laurie Puhn, a relationship and communication expert and author of "Instant Persuasion: How to Change Your Word to Change Your Life."

Here are some of Puhn's suggestions:

? Don't isolate yourself at a holiday gathering to make calls or to text. But do include others by putting your phone on speaker to call a relative or friend.

? Don't assume kids are wasting time by chatting or texting via their phone but do encourage them to invite friends over for the next holiday gathering.

? Don't assume the grandparents aren't interested in staying in touch by text message but do show them the latest innovations in wireless phones.

Of course, to T-Mobile, all those minutes piling up must sound like early sleigh bells of Christmas cheer.

 

[eplebnista]

Interesting!

 

[cyclistca]

This message brought to you by the marketing department of T-Mobile.

 

[Injury]

Apparently this person has no sense of common ettiquette.

The problem isn't that people use their phones during parties or something, the problem is that once people start using the phone, they act like they are alone. Using a phone at the dinner table is like interrupting everyone else so that they can hear one end of the conversation. If you aren't going to enjoy the company of the people you are with, you shouldn't be there in the first place. You CAN live without the phone, even for just a few hours.

Texting isn't that big of a deal, but keep the phone on silent/vibrate.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Thank god my family is not tech savvy. They don't have cell phones (other than me since I need it for work).

 

[mercanucaribe]

Grandma's getting a Treo for Xmas!