3B Ho Wing Shan, Jenny
A letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
Some people in an online forum pointed out that more people are so obsessed with their smartphones that they overlook etiquette. Also, they think that smartphones should not be used in some situations such as family gatherings, dining in a restaurant and traveling on the public transport. I agree with part of some of the ideas but not all. I would like to share my views in the following.
To commence with, I strongly support that people should not use smartphones when having family gatherings even if there are some very important things they need to deal with. I think the purpose of the family gatherings is to improve the relationship between one and other. If people only bow their heads down and glare at their smartphones individually, their relationship can never be improved. They are just like people sitting on their own deserted island. People should put down their smartphones and return to the “real world” instead of “the virtual Digital World” and communicate with others verbally face to face instead of using fingers to type Whatsapp messages and sending emojis.
However, I do not agree with the idea that people should not take photographs of the food before eating. I think this action is acceptable although it may cause some disturbance to others. Since people always want to share their happiness with others, they may take photos of some delicious and good looking dishes. People may want to record some important moments too. They may like to upload the photos to Facebook or instagram to share their joyful times with friends and relatives living miles away. So, I think this action is really fine if that restaurants allow you to do so and the pictures are taken quickly enough not to delay the meal time for too long.
Some people also think that talking on the phone when travelling on public transport should not be allowed. I think that it should depend on the loudness of the voice of that person. If that person speaks softly, it will not disturb others seriously and it is also acceptable. But if the person speaks so loudly that it is disturbing others seriously, I think it should not be allowed.
Yours faithfully,
Jenny Ho