Has mobile technology made us ignorant of etiquette?

I have a mobile phone. I have an iPod. I have a laptop. But unlike many people who let these products lead their lives – I still try to keep a good social etiquette.

This post was sparked from a study session I had in my university library earlier this week. My university has what I believe is a great coding system a red, amber and green: which dictates how much noise one is aloud to make in that particular area. For example, in green areas, group study accompanied with talks is if anything; promoted. However, red areas are totally opposite – they are for people who require silence when studying and would prefer not to be disturbed. Before I get in to the main body of this post, I’m sure you’re aware that libraries are generally areas in which phones should be on silent.

The house I live in at university has a very slow internet connection – I’m not sure if that’s because “Digital Britain” is yet another thing to be cut from the budget, but all I know is my network bandwidth is abysmal. From online games users to watching a bit too much on BBC iPlayer – at times it can take me over 30 seconds to load a Google search page. So, because of this unfortunate network situation I find myself in, I often seek refuge at the closest 24 hour wifi hotspot – the university library. Being a quiet person and liking quiet moments, I often take a perch in a red zone, where I expect everyone else present to be of a similar mindset. Whether it’s the people with deadlines in hours to come, people wanting to read a novel or those who are probably in a similar situation to me, most of the time there’s a peaceful harmony associated with the red zone.

On my way to the library, Tuesday as I recall, I noticed the weather to be overcast and windy. Without my umbrella at hand, I held great hopes that the rain would keep, at least until I got to the library. Thankfully I arrived just in time, as a great rainstorm came over Stoke-on-Trent. At that very point, I knew this visit to the library wouldn’t be a short one. I found a computer which had the library catalogue, and searched out books on soil chemistry and Britain’s geological history for an upcoming report on soils in valleys. After finding the relevant books in the catalogue I searched them out on what happened to be the second floor, a designated red zone. This is a frequent place for me to study in, and without previous issues regarding this area, I decided not to break the norm, and I sat in the back right corner.

Reading about how peaty soils develop, I saw in the corner of my eye a woman who decided to sit in relatively close proximity to me, not that this bothered me, as I was assured that she would be aware of the etiquette of a red zone. One of the first things I noticed when she was by me was that she breathed very heavily and loudly. I’m not sure if she was asmatic, but in retrospect to this event, I feel that I probably should have recommended a local doctor for her to visit. This was a slight bother to me, but worthy of too much complaint – as I would hope other people would be sympathetic to me if I have a respiratory issue. After about 20 minutes, I was most rudely disturbed by a loud ringing of the woman’s phone. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the sound of her phone vibrating on the table shuddered though me like a pneumatic drill to concrete. Ok. Despite my greatest efforts, I have forgotten to turn my phone onto silent mode before entering a library. But wait, there’s more. This woman did not warrant the look of concern for disturbing people nearby, but instead barfed out a laugh. so if anyone wasn’t disturbed by the ringtone, she most certainly had everyone’s attention by this point. The woman did not turn her phone onto silent, yet she carried on getting a constant stream of text messages. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! The woman received a phone call. And as tolerant I am to other people’s music tastes, JLS really does strike a bad nerve with me. After about a minute’s worth of conversation, she packed up her belongings and left. Finally. Peace. Quiet. Some time to make some headway with research. In this time I just tried to calm down after the multiple offender of red zone rules and general library etiquette had cleared the area.

Apparently, peat develops in conditions whereby… HOLD UP… SHE’S BACK?! Maybe she noticed the red zone posters and had turned her phone onto silent? She sat down, in the same place as before, but this time, she has a little friend with her… a packet of crisps. In a totally silent room, the sound of a person eating crisps runs through one like a Harry Potter does to Platform 9 3/4. I had gotten to much for me. Though, not wanting to further exacerbate the issue of broken silence, I decided not to confront the woman, but instead move to another floor, which was also a red zone.

International students. In my view they’re a great addition to any university. They stir up the diversity which is the very thing which makes university a great place to be. But how did the two international students nearby me respond to library etiquette? Terribly. From loud talking in broken English about their business course to chatting about facebook and the like, one was least pleased. I packed up my belongings and took the sorry books back to my room with me.

That, fellow readers, was a rant I know, and a long one at that. But if you have followed me through to the end I hold great respect for your tolerance, and probably understanding of  my dire library situation. Please post comments on any bad experiences you may have had, it may lighten my mood. On the other hand, it could further prove my title – has mobile technology made us ignorant of etiquette? Because I am a strong believer that yes, it has. And this is but one of my arguments, though I won’t occupy your time with anymore for now. I wish you the best of luck in any trips to the library you may take, though I must say, keep your expectations low, unless you could very well be disappointed by the ignorance of people around you which ruin what I believe is the best place for personal study.