Cellphones, everyone has one now a days. The whole world is electronically connected. Social media, work, play it’s all on your cellphone. When is it time to put the phone down? How often have you been on a date only to have your partner pay more attention to the cellphone than to you? Now before you get all excited, let me just say men are just as guilty as this as women are. With some people it becomes second nature to just constantly look a their cellphone. Is this appropriate to do while on a date with someone?
Think of this, what can possibly be roaming through your date’s mind while you pick up your phone and look at the screen? Hmmmm? Is he chatting with another guy? What does that text message say that is so important he has to turn his attention away from me and on to his phone? Seriously, am I THAT boring she has to chat with her friends while we are suppose to be having an intimate dinner? Sure, the mail, text or call can be work related, but I’m betting 95% of the time your date isn’t saying, “Sure baby, it’s o.k. you stay on your phone, I know it’s just business.” Staying on your cellphone during a date can only spell disaster in most cases. It tells your date that they really aren’t that interesting to you, that the person on the other end of that message takes priority over you and the date you are on, it screams, “I’m bored”! Well, either bored or obsessive-compulsive. When you are out on a date, whether it’s lunch, dinner, movie or even just for a walk, let’s remember a little cellphone etiquette that may give a better long lasting impression on your date.
Here are a few tips that may just help you out:
First off, if it’s a lunch date it’s more acceptable to have to have your cellphone out and available. After all, you are probably eating during work hours and need to be available for an emergency. Politely tell your lunch date, “I apologize, I need to have my phone out in case work calls.” Generally, if you explain briefly, it breaks the tension and the wondering while you two are enjoying a nice lunch.
Second Tip: Family. Family take priority. If you prepare your date ahead of time and tell them, “You know I have an ill parent, I need to leave my phone out in case they call. Simple enough, right?
Third: Work. Yes, we all do live in a society where some work is just 24-7. I may be guilty of this myself. If this is the case and you need to be available, again, be courteous and clue your date in on why you just have to have that phone out. The better thing to do would be to set up your calls for other times. Put aside that hour or two to dedicate to your date. If it’s a new date, do you really want to start off on the wrong foot? People are human with emotions, unlike a piece of electronics which functions on a memory chip. When the cellphone leaves the date it won’t be asking questions or wondering why your date was more important than it was, but a date may walk away from the date wondering why the cellphone was more important than them.
Basically it comes down to my own personal number one rule, “communication”. Nothing has to be a big deal if you communicate with each other. There are always circumstances that will alter a situation, but if you take time to communicate the reason I can almost guarantee the time together will end on a much happier note. Although business is important in life, so are people. If you take the time to make a date with someone, take the time to “try” to make sure you are able to give them your full attention. Do you really like the person you are taking out? Do you want to make them feel good and give them the positive attention they deserve? Do you want to leave them with an awesome impression about you? Well then, put the cellphone down, at least for a scheduled amount of time. After all, are you dating a human or are you dating your cellphone?
