Some people are fine with using a phone in church, but not walking down the street

The thing with a mobile phone is, thanks to the fact this it is mobile, it can be used -- just about - anywhere. But just because something is possible, it doesn’t mean that it should be done. PewResearch conducted a survey into phone etiquette, and the findings show that people are somewhat divided about where and when it is OK to use a phone.

Some of the results are not exactly surprising. A huge majority of those questioned were not cool with the idea of using a phone in a movie theater or during a meeting (95 and 94 percent respectively). But there are also some interesting quirks in attitudes to mobiles -- 4 percent of people, for instance, see no problem with using a cellphone in the middle of a church service.

Overall, the 3,217 people who took part in the survey held conservative or considerate views about where it is acceptable to use a phone. It's worth noting that the accompanying report does not make it clear whether people had different opinions about making calls, receiving calls, or using a phone for something else such as texting or surfing the web.

Nearly a quarter of people (23 percent) objected to the idea of phone use whilst walking down the street, and a similar number (25 percent) were opposed to using a phone on public transport. 26 percent dissed the idea of using a phone whilst waiting in line, but in more social situations the figures started to turn around a little. Just 12 percent of people thought it was acceptable to use a phone during a family meal, and this figure drops to just 5 percent when asked about phone use during meetings. The figures varied depending on the age of the respondent, with younger people being more open to the idea of using a phone in a social situation.

There is, however, there is an element of hypocrisy. Despite widespread opposition to use of phones in various social situations, a massive 89 percent of those asked said that they had used their own phone during their most recent social gathering.

Check out the report in full on the PewResearch website.

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