Contributed by: kellyseal on Sunday, August 19 2012 @ 08:56 am
Last modified on
There are certain basic rules we try to follow when we’re on a date – like being on time, chewing food without spitting it in the other person’s wine glass, and refraining from talk about the ex. But what about your mobile phone? What are the rules for texting or answering calls while on a date?
Many people feel that they have to have their phones near them at all times, in case that very important call comes in. Maybe your date sits down at the table across from you, and the first thing he does before asking you how you are or what you’d like to drink is – he takes his phone out of his pocket and places it on the table.
Now it’s a three-way date: you, him, and his phone. Maybe it will ring or buzz. Then what? Will he pick it up and take the call? Will he text people all during dinner, interrupting your conversation? Or will he let it buzz away, with both of you shifting uncomfortably in your seats as you try to avoid looking at it?
Needless to say, it’s not a great way to start a date, or to get to know each other. When you have your phone out and ready to receive texts or calls, you’re effectively telling your date, “you’re not that important,” even if you’re expecting an important call from work or from your family member or friend. While you might think your job trumps your date, this thinking going to work against you. She will likely believe you’re making yourself seem more important than you are, and that’s not very attractive.
If you do have a work or home emergency, then make it clear to your date that this is why you need to check your phone if it rings. But if you know to expect that emergency call while you’re out, it’s a better idea to reschedule the date when you’re less distracted or anxious.
Before mobile phones became a necessary part of our lives, we had to wait until we got home to check our answering machine messages, which wasn’t such a bad thing. Will the world fall apart if you don’t return that text right away or don’t answer that call? After all, who you’re with should be your focus on a date, not who might call.
So the best thing to do? Keep your phone in a jacket pocket or in your purse – out of sight. And turn the ringer off.