Textiquette - A Book about Text Etiquette
So a few of us have decided to make a coffee table book about the etiquette of texting. I think it’s going to be a pretty fun little project. Below is a small excert from the draft of the chapter I am writing entitled “When it is NOT appropriate to text”:
Textiqutte, much like etiquette, is an unwritten code of social behavior, or in this case - texting behavior, that is a reflection of proper manners and respect. Though you may think that the rules that lie herein may hinder your supposed sense of personal freedom, let me assure you - they do! And the reason you may feel that these rules unnecessarily restrict your behavior is because I am calling you out on the stupid, idiotic buffoonery you call decision making - when it comes to texting that is.
Believe what you want, but there is a reason you find yourself reading this book. If it is meant to be it is going to happen, and right now, you are meant to be reading this book. Now, granted, you might be finding the words written herein amusing and laughable - HEY!! GUESS WHAT?!?! THAT’S THE POINT! How else did you think we were going to get our point across…play (pander) to your intelligence? Ninety percent of the people that pick up this book will learn absolutely nothing, so at the very least we should make your “time wasting” enjoyable.
Sadly, however, making your “time wasting” enjoyable is not the point of this chapter. I am here to give it to your straight and not waste time, because not following the proper textiquette guidelines found within these pages wastes everyone’s time. Shape up, pay attention, and don’t even think about texting while you’re reading this.
Dinner
Let’s be honest. What’s the whole point behind going out to dinner? For those of you who think I mean anything related to a fast-food restaurant, please close this book, put it back where you found it and walk away. You have more issues wrong with you then this book has pages to address.The whole point behind going out to dinner - a real dinner - is to be social. You are meant to interact and socialize with those you are out on a dinner with. You are NOT at dinner to be social with your phone. When you text while at dinner, it is rude, embarrassing and sometime offensive to those you are with. Don’t do it!
Car/Driving
Very little is more inconsiderate, dangerous and outright reckless than texting while driving. When you text while you drive, you are either doing one thing or the other - there is no multi-tasking. If you think you can do both, you are greatly mistaken, and you aren’t just putting your life at risk, but you are also putting everyone else that is on the road with you at risk. It’s simply bad form any which way you look at it.While looking past the obvious dangers of texting while driving, if you are in traffic this is also not the go ahead to text either. If you’re looking down at your phone, you aren’t looking at the cars in front of you. Yes, the cars that are now a 100 yards - that’s right, a full football field’s length - ahead of you now. No one should have lean on their horn to get you to pay attention to the road. We are all trying to get somewhere. Don’t hinder the process.
If you liked what you read, look for the book when it comes out. There’s definitely a lot more to it, and it is a real fun read.