Survey: Toilet Texting Perfectly Okay

I had the opportunity to take in a stellar San Francisco performance by the talented songstress Neko Case a few months ago and only had one complaint: the constant flicker and flash of iPhones throughout the entire show, almost as if touching the screen every five minutes were just as important as breathing. I mean, WTF?!

In fact, I notice a lot of obsessive-compulsive behavior these days involving the latest crop of super-duper smartphones, not unlike a cigarette habit. But if the results of a survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Intel are accurate, I'm not the only one who believes a little mobile etiquette goes a long way.

The "Intel Holiday Mobile Etiquette" survey concludes that the majority of folks surveyed (69 percent) believe that texting or doing other mobile tasks while in the company of others is totally unacceptable, while 80 percent agree that there are unwritten rules for polite mobile use. In the context of the holidays, more than half of the respondents say they would be offended if someone secretly tried to use a wireless device at a party.

But texting, surfing or even making calls while you're on the can? Eh, no big deal. "Despite hygiene considerations and potentially awkward explanations," the Intel press release said, 75 percent of the respondents are okay with the use of electronic devices while in the bathroom.

I guess I'm okay with it, too. But perhaps mobile interactions from the john should be limited to texting (and no details, please).

And iPhones at concerts? That's just not cool.

Photo courtesy of Alton, via Wikimedia Commons