Common sense should prevail and clearly identify situations in which we should never use our mobile phones. Places of worship in general, weddings and funerals especially, are perfect examples of settings where it is simply disrespectful to use the mobile phone. Here are some others:

On an aeroplane
A particular place where mobile phone use is expressly prohibited is within the airplane. Here, “broadcast announcements” constantly remind passengers to turn off their mobile phones, along with the exact reasons why they cannot even be turned on! While flying a plane, the pilots need to constantly monitor complex and sensitive electronic navigational equipment. Signals from mobile phones can interfere with these and affect the pilot’s navigation of the plane. Stiff penalties are in place in some countries for disregarding this basic rule. For example, an army officer was recently arrested for using his mobile phone on the airplane during take-off, despite the air crew telling him to switch it off, and explaining to him why.

In hospitals
The hospital is another place where mobile phones are a definite “no-no”. Here, not only is the distraction caused by the ringing of mobile phones disruptive, but their interference with readings on delicate, life-saving equipment can prove to be life-threatening for patients dependent on these equipment.

In the classroom
Classrooms are at the centre of education where important learning takes place. The distraction from ringing mobile phones interrupts the flow of the lesson and causes students to lose focus. Using it to handle calls or short messages can also affect the concentration of both the user and others in the class.

In a business meeting
Another place where no one wants to be interrupted by an annoying ring or buzz of a mobile phone is in business meetings. However, you may walk into a business meeting already expecting an important call. Let those present know before the meeting starts that you may have to leave the room to take the call. This is common courtesy. You can then put your mobile phone on silent or vibrator mode. If you put it on silent mode, you can leave it on the table where the signal will be visible when the call comes in. If you put it on vibrator mode, you should leave it in your pocket where you can feel the incoming call. In this case, do not put it on the table as the vibration will be even louder than the ring tone you have silenced! Another way to ensure that you do not miss that important call is to divert it to voicemail. Then you can deal with it as soon as the meeting is over.

At the cinema
Be considerate to others. Everybody pays the same price for a ticket to enjoy the movie. Do not treat the cinema as your private living room. Imagine everyone’s chagrin if during a crucial cinematic moment where you need to closely listen to the dialogue to catch important plot points or a principal joke, a mobile phone goes off and shatters that moment. Shows and movies are screened LIVE in cinemas and theatres, not pre-recorded. So, we cannot just press the rewind button to replay the crucial part we missed when we were distracted by that confounded mobile phone ringing!

These are some familiar situations where the mobile phone should be conspicuous in its absence, but there are many more. It only takes common sense to think about situations where you would not want to hear a mobile phone. Use your basic sense of propriety and consideration for others, and you will automatically know when NOT to use that mobile phone!

Common sense should prevail and clearly identify situations in which we should never use our mobile phones. Places of worship in general, weddings and funerals especially, are perfect examples of settings where it is simply disrespectful to use the mobile phone. Here are some others:

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