• Cell phones can alienate people and discourage face-to-face communication.cell phone image by MateiA from Fotolia.com
  
  The benefits of cellular communications are seemingly endless, both in terms of personal relationships and the various advantages to business. However, there may be a social cost in an increasing reliance on cell phones. Manners and etiquette allow people to interact respectfully, and consequently allow members of a society to feel valued by others. Unfortunately, there are a number of ways that the use of cell phones may erode manners.
  
  

Relationships

• Social etiquette within relationships is perhaps the most important way society relies on manners. Young people are particularly susceptible to using their cell phones to ignore and otherwise distance themselves from family members and even friends. Spending time chatting to friends, messaging people and playing cell phone games can take the place of real interaction with family.
  
  

Noise Pollution

• The unspoken rules governing how loud people should talk in a public space are often abused by cell phone users. Unless the phone has excellent reception, cell conversations often have to be noticeably louder than simply talking to a friend or colleague who is actually present. Also, because only half the conversation can be heard by those around a loud cell phone user, the resulting lack of sense or meaning to the noise can be all the more annoying. Loud ring tones can also be a source of irritation given their repetitive nature, particularly if the phone is not answered immediately.
  
  

Events

• At events where audience silence is an important part of the entertainment, such as in a movie theater or at a play, loud ring tones can have a negative impact on other people's enjoyment. Quite apart from the entertainment industry, events such as funerals or remembrance services can be ruined by cell phone disruption. In general, failing to switch off cell phones at public events of any kind can often be perceived as a lack of respect.
  
  

Boundaries

• The fact that cell phone conversations do not occur face-to-face can lead to the disintegration of manners. Cell phone users may be willing to be far ruder in the relative safety provided by distance than they would be in person. In fact, constant use of a cell phone may lead to a habitual aggressiveness that translates into everyday life.