Mobile phones can be a menace

DH is very proud of the fact he only has an ancient Nokia which rarely leaves the house. He does occassionally take it with him if he thinks he may need to phone me. This means: turn it on - ring me - turn it off again. Most infuriating if I need to ring him back! He likes me to carry mine though - just in case, I do most of the time, but with the ringer turned right down as I find it most embarrassing when it beeps. I rarely use it though as Norfolk has atrocious mobile coverage and actual phone calls are usually impossible outside towns.

I do love WhatsApp though. I'm in a group with the kids and it's a great way to have chats and banter.

Only yesterday I ordered a new smart phone to replace my museum piece. I can't wait for it to arrive. I am very considerate with it's use in company, but as I am rarely in company that is not a problem. I use it mostly to keep in touck with family and friends whilst not using the landline which H,who suffers from paranoia associated with his dementia guards like the crown jewels. He has to listen to every conversation, presumably because he thinks I talk about him, which actually I will be if it is to my daughter.

I have just got my phone back after two weeks. I had left it at DDs when we visited. I can't say I missed it.

Fortunately I wasn't going far from home in that time.

I have posted before about a friend that I invited to supper after not having seen her for ages, and how she put her phone on the table and read and replied to various text messages throughout the evening.

Another (mutual) friend was here too, we both ended up feeling surplus to requirements!

I had invited them as it was my birthday, Mr P was away working and I thought it would be good to get together and have a catch up. C arrived with card, flowers and wine, phone girl T arrived with her phone!

Please don't get me wrong, I didn't expect anything, although a card would have been appreciated, but I felt that we didn't really even have her company!

Funnily enough, although C has been round quite a few times since, I somehow keep forgetting to check if T would like to join us........

OP I totally agree with you about phones at the table. And when I am socialising with friends. If I am with a friend for coffee,or a drink,I leave my phone in my bag,on silent. I wouldn't dream of having it on the table,much less answering it,text or call,unless it was urgent,e.g. I was awaiting news from someone in hospital,or something similar. And as for these parents who pay more attention to their phones than their children,don't get me started. I feel like grabbing the phone off them and hurling it into the nearest bin.

felice that is awful, of all places not to use a phone Church must rank highly. I agree with ninathenana, I use my phone in the same way. Certainly meal times should be screen free and I abhor the taking of a call when in conversation with someone else. It's a generational thing I think so I sound like a grumpy old woman when I complain to my family about it. I think good manners should prevail.

It is in Church that they really annoy me, well, lots of other places too actually but no matter how many times people are told to turn off phones in Church there is always one or more rings during the service.
I was sitting behind a family one Sunday and all of them were texting during the service, why bother coming at all ?????

And some of them burst into flames! Could set fire to the tablecloth..... . I like having a mobile phone but am not in thrall to it and would never use it in company. I was most annoyed with my son when we were on holiday. We had a table booked for a special meal. DD et al had gone ahead and DS insisted that he would drive us. Then he got a call from one of his stepsons just as we were about to get into the car and said "I have to take this". He was on the phone so long in the end D-I-L said "I'll drive or we'll never get there" and bundled him into the car where the call continued. What was it about? Stepson had his friends round for an evening and didn't know how to connect up the gas barbecue!! And that couldn't wait. I don't know how DH kept his temper!

Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with you regarding phones at the table and when in company and parents in the street paying more attention to their phones than their children. I couldn't be without mine. I use it for everything I want to do on line, also to text family and friends. In fact I vary rarely use it to receive or make calls